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THE 


REVELATION  OF  6HRIST 

Y©  pis  C)ei'v^ar)fs  : 


OF 


«^HINGS  THAT  ARE,  AND  * 

«^HINGS  THAT  SHALL  BE. 


BRIEF  NOTES  IN  INTERPRETATION. 


By  F.  W.  Grant. 


NEW  YORK: 

LoiZEAUX  Brothers,   Bible  Truth  Depot, 
6^  Fourth  Avenue. 


THE   BIBLE  TRUTH 

NEW   VORK, 


PRINTED   AT 
PRESS.    63   FOURTH   AVENUE, 


IPAN  STAO; 


PRESENT   THINGS, 

As  F()i<i:>ii<>\vN  IN  nil    Book  ok  Klvei^ation. 


THE  PREFACE  TO  THE  BOOK. 


The  Book  and  Its  Subject,  {Chap.  i.  1-3) 

THE  book  of  Revelation  is  the  one  only  book  of 
New-Testament  prophecy.  As  the  comple- 
tion of  the  whole  prophetic  Scriptures,  it 
leathers  up  the  threads  of  all  the  former  books,  and 
weaves  them  into  one  chain  of  many  links  which 
binds  all  history  to  the  throne  of  God.  As  New- 
Testament  prophecy,  it  adds  the  heavenly  to  the 
earthly  sphere,  passes  the  bounds  of  time,  and 
explores  with  familiar  feet  eternity  itself.  Who 
would  not,  through  these  doors  set  open  to  us, 
press  in  to  learn  the  things  yet  unseen,  so  soon  to 
be  for  us  the  only  realities?  Who  would  not  im- 
agine that  such  a  book,  written  with  the  pen  of  the 
living  God  Himself,  would  attract  irresistibly  the 
hearts  of  Christians,  and  that  no  exhortation  would 
be  needed  for  a  moment  to  win  them  to  its  patient 
and  earnest  study  ? 

It  should  be  so,  assuredly.  How  little  it  is  so, 
the  book  in  its  first  words  is  witness  to  us:  for  no 
book  is  so  full  of  just  such  exhortation.  And  espe- 
cially the  first  part,  with  which  we  are  to  be  for 
the  present  <>cciipied,  abounds  with  solemn  warn- 


127 


2  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

ings  to  attention,  regularly  appended  to  its  several 
sections:  *' He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what 
the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches."  Why  is  it  that 
just  here,  where  at  first  sight  we  have  only  ad- 
dresses to  the  churches  of  far-distant  times,  these 
calls  should  be  multiplied?  Why  but  because  there 
was  just  this  danger  to  be  guarded  against?  why 
but  because  the  Spirit  of  God  foresaw  that  a  gen- 
eration  of  men,  most  blind  to  their  own  interests 
when  most  wedded  to  them,  would  slight  the  very 
words  of  Christ  Himself  unless  thus  directly  made 
over  to  them?  What  shall  we  say  of  those  who 
with  all  this  warning  slight  them  still? 

Scripture  is  thus  ever  prophetic,  not  in  its  plain 
predictions  merely,  but  in  its  manner  also.  Why 
should  Peter  be  the  one  to  tell  us  that  all  Christians 
are  "a  holy  priesthood,"  but  in  view  of  those  who 
should  misuse  his  name  in  after-times?  or  why 
should  he  be  the  one  to  announce  to  us  that  we  are 
born  again  by  the  word  of  God,  which  is  preached 
in  the  gospel,  thus  with  two  blows  destroying 
ritualism  to  its  foundations?  or  why  should  Mary 
never  prefer  a  request  to  her  Son  and  Lord  but  to 
be  checked  for  it,  save  as  an  after-rebuke  to  those 
who  should  think  to  avail  themselves  of  the  Virgin's 
intercession  ? 

So  too  is  not  the  very  title  of  this  book,  with  its 
subject  announced,  and  encouragement  both  to 
reader  and  hearer?  How  could  words  be  better 
suited  to  rebuke  the  neglect,  into  which  so  many 
have  fallen,  in  which  so  many  still  are  found,  of 
what  is  Christ's  own  "  revelation,"  given  to  Him 
by  God,  **  to  show  unto  His  servants  things  which 
must  shortly  come  to  pass"?  Does  a  ** revelation " 
hide,  or  reveal?     Is  that  which  is  revealed  to  serv- 


THE   PREFACE   TO   THE   BOOK.  3 

ants,  to  be  kept  {v.  3)  by  them  in  their  service  to 
their  Lord,  given  in  so  doubtful  a  manner  as  to  be 
more  perplexity  than  guidance?  Is  not  this  an 
accusation  of  Him  who  has  forbidden  to  His  people 
doubtful  paths,  because  *'  whatsoever  is  not  of  faith 
is  sin"? 

Strange  is  the  mistake  that  "  the  Revelation  of 
Jesus  Christ,  which  God  gave  unto  Him,"  means 
His  "appearing,"  because  His  appearing  is  the 
central  theme  of  the  book !  No  doubt  it  is  so,  and 
that  His  appearing  is  spoken  of  elsewhere  as  His 
revelation ;  but  here,  that  "  which  God  gave  unto 
Him,  to  show  unto  His  servants  things  which  must 
shortly  come  to  pass,"  is  plainly  the  book  itself,  and 
defines  its  character.  It  is  not  simply  an  inspiration, 
as  all  Scripture  is,  but  something  revealed  for  the 
instruction  of  the  saints.  Many  are  too  little  clear 
yet  as  to  the  difference  between  the  two.  But  rev- 
elation is  that  in  which  is  a  direct  communication 
from  God  to  man — a  fresh  discovery  of  truth  other- 
wise unknown;  while  inspiration  is  that  which 
preserves  from  error,  and  assures  that  all  that  is 
written  is  for  true  profit  and  blessing  to  man. 

"Jesus  Christ's  revelation  "  emphasizes  the  book 
before  us,  as  what  is  from  the  Lord  Himself  in  a 
peculiar  way,  of  special  importance  and  value 
where  all  is  of  value;  and  it  is  received  by  Him 
from  God,  as  One  who  all  through  takes  the  place 
of  Man,  and  as  such  is  exalted  of  God,  never  exalts 
Himself.  True  pattern  for  His  servants!  He  asks 
them  to  walk  in  no  other  path  than  He  has  trodden, 
and  where  they  may  have  fellowship  with  Him. 

This  book  is  the  servant's  book.  So  it  is  plainly 
stated :  "To  show  unto  His  servant s''  We  may 
not  expect,  therefore,  to  be  shown,  except  we  come 


4  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

under  this  title ;  and  indeed  every  child  of  God  has 
the  responsibility  and  privilege  of  service, — has 
something-,  no  doubt,  of  the  reality  of  it,  as  the 
Lord  says,  "  He  that  hath  My  commandments  and 
keepeth  them,  he  it  is  who  loveth  Me  "  (Jno.  xiv.  21). 
And  so  the  apostle:  ''This  is  the  love  of  God,  that 
we  keep  His  commandments"  (i  Jno.  v.  3).  Both 
passages  maintain  that  the  only  right  measure  of 
love  is  that  of  practical  obedience.  Emotional 
glow,  warm  feelings,  are  indeed  to  be  desired, — 
nay,  to  be  expected,  from  those  conscious  of  re- 
demption by  the  blood  of  Christ ;  but  these  vary 
with  different  natures,  vary  in  the  same  person  at 
different  times,  may  even  deceive  very  much  the 
subject  of  them,  while  obedience  is  the  test  of  the 
judgment-seat  itself.  Words  and  deeds  we  read  of 
then  as  alone  in  question. 

Yet  there  is  need  of  a  counter-check  here  too ; 
for  how  much  frequently  goes  under  the  name  of 
service  which  is  in  truth  even  disobedience  and 
self-will !  How  much  there  is  also  of  legal  drudgery 
and  pretentious  claim,  which  the  light  of  God's 
holy  presence  will  shrivel  into  nothing!  "  Lo, 
these  many  years  do  I  serve  thee"  is  the  language 
of  one  to  whom  the  music  of  the  father's  house  was 
a  strange  and  unaccustomed  sound ;  and  "  I  fast 
twice  in  the  week,  I  give  tithes  of  all  that  I  pos- 
sess" was  said  by  one  less  acceptable  to  God  by 
far  than  the  despised  publican,  who  could  only 
groan  out  in  His  presence,  ''  God  be  merciful  to 
me  the  sinner!" 

The  service  of  love  and  the  service  of  claim  are 
opposites.  ''  He  died  for  all,  that  they  which  live 
should  not  henceforth  live  unto  themselves,  but 
unto  Him  who  died  for  them  and  rose  again."  This 


THE   PREFACE   TO    THE   BOOK.  5 

is  the  moral  power  of  Christianity — the  fruit  of 
grace,  and  only  that.  For  if  still  there  is  a  possi- 
bility of  condemnation  in  the  day  of  judgment,  fear 
stirs  me  to  self-interest,  I  work,  for  myself  to  escape 
the  condemnation.  "  Faith  worketh  by  love  " — an 
entirely  opposite  principle.  Such  service  is  neces- 
sarily freedom,  the  more  so  the  more  it  rules  me, 
and  entire  happiness.  In  exact  proportion  to  love 
will  be  the  desire  to  serve  the  object  of  our  love: 
as  we  read  of  the  ''ivork  of  faith,"  so  we  do  of  the 
''  labor  of  love."  But  earnest  and  self-sacrificing  as 
this  labor  may  be,  it  can  never  be  drudgery,  never 
aught  but  joy.  If  such  is  our  service,  the  thankful 
offering  of  those  knowing  themselves  washed  from 
their  sins  in  the  blood  of  Christ,  then  Revelation, 
with  its  survey  of  the  whole  field  of  labor,  and  its 
communication  of  the  mind  of  Christ  as  to  all, — 
Revelation,  with  its  windows  open  toward  Jeru- 
salem, and  its  eternal  sunshine  for  our  souls, — 
Revelation,  with  its  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb, 
and  the  stimulation  of  its  encouraging  words  to  the 
overcomer, — is  the  very  book  for  us,  surely.  We 
shall  enter  with  rapt  hearts  into  the  truth  of  this : 
"  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that  hear  the 
words  of  the  book  of  this  prophecy,  and  keep  the 
things  that  are  written  therein." 

It  is  the  book  for  all  servants.  We  have  many 
and  different  fields  of  service,  it  is  true;  and  happy 
as  well  as  important  it  is  to  recognize  this  fact. 
There  are  high  positions  and  lowly  ones ;  positions 
before  the  eyes  of  multitudes,  and  positions  hidden 
from  almpst  all  eyes,  save  His  who  are  in  every 
place.  But  every  where  it  is  a  joy  to  know  that 
we  are  accepted,  not  according  to  the  place  we  are 
put  in,  but  the  way  we  fill  it — the  way  we  do  the 


6  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

Master's  work  there.  Lowliness  and  obscurity  will 
be  no  discouragement  to  those  in  the  communion 
of  the  Father  and  the  Son:  they  cease  to  have 
meaning  there.  And  publicity  and  prominence  are 
how  unspeakably  dangerous,  if  the  soul  is  not 
correspondingly  before  God ;  like  the  tree  which 
spreads  its  branches  and  lifts  its  top  toward 
heaven,  if  its  roots  are  not  proportionately  deep 
in  the  unseen  depths  below. 

Whatever  the  field  of  service,  the  book  of  Reve- 
lation is  for  all.  All  need  alike  the  warnings,  all 
need  alike  the  encouragement.  From  the  most 
hidden  retirement,  He  whom  we  serve  in  love 
would  have  our  hearts  with  Himself,  busy  with  all 
that  is  of  interest  to  Him.  In  the  place  of  inter- 
cession Himself  above.  He  would  have  us  in  fellow- 
ship with  Him  below  ;  our  prayers  rising  up  for  all 
parts  of  the  earth  His  Word  is  visiting,  and  where 
the  true  "  irrepressible  conflict "  is  going  on  between 
the  evil  and  the  good ;  our  praises,  too,  returning 
to  Him  for  all  He  is  daily  accomplishing.  In 
Revelation  is  given  us  the  one  ''mind  of  Christ" 
about  all,  that  our  prayers  may  be  the  intelligent 
guiding  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  our  hearts  giving 
their  sympathies  aright,  our  energies  going  forth 
in  channels  of  His  own  making.  Little  indeed,  in 
many  of  the  systems  of  interpretation  of  this  book, 
may  be  found,  it  is  true,  such  help  as  this;  and 
quite  unable  we  may  be  to  extract  the  spiritual 
blessing  to  be  found  in  seals  or  trumpets  which 
speak  only  of  Alaric  the  Goth,  or  Attila  the  Hun: 
but  for  the  simple  ones  who  believCn  God,  the 
mere  direct  label  of  this  book  for  Christ's  servants 
may  certify  that  there  is  something  deeper  while 
simpler  than  all  this  for  souls  that  seek  it.     There 


THE   PREFACE   TO   THE   BOOK.  7 

the  words  stand  for  faith  to  receive  and  rejoice  in, 
— ''Jesus  Christ's  revelation,  which  God  gave  unto 
Him,  to  show  unto  His  servants  things  which 
must  shortly  come  to  pass."  Join  us  in  prayer, 
beloved  reader,  ere  we  pass  on,  that  we  may  give 
His  people  from  these  pages  real  help  and  blessing 
drawn  from  this  precious  book ! 

"  Things  which  must  shortly  come  to  pass."  This 
would  now  no  doubt  impress  us,  as  w^e  look  back 
from  the  end  of  eighteen  centuries  fulfilled  since  it 
was  written,  with  the  belief  that  already  some,  if 
not  much,  of  what  is  here  spoken  of  must  already 
have  come  to  pass.  And  this  we  shall  find  con- 
firmed fully  in  the  sequel.  But  two  things  we 
should  guard  here  carefully, — the  possibility  on  the 
one  hand,  and  the  profit  on  the  other,  of  tracing 
with  certainty,  in  the  light  of  the  prophetic  Word, 
things  which  have  not  come  to  pass,  and  even  will 
not  while  we  are  upon  the  earth.  These  two 
things,  it  is  plain,  hang  very  much  together;  for  if 
there  be  not  profit  in  it,  it  would  seem  clear  that 
God  would  not  enable  us  to  do  it;  while  of  course 
there  can,  on  the  other  hand,  be  no  profit  to  us  in 
a  thing  we  cannot  do. 

But  this  impossibility  of  knowing  can  only  be 
meant  seriously  as  applying  to  details,  and  to  a  cer- 
tain extent  every  Christian  would  allow  this.  Events 
are  not  so  mapped  out  and  put  together  for  us  as  fo 
make  us  able  to  see  otherwise  than  "  through  a  glass 
darkly" — the  apostle's  own  emphatic  word.  We 
can  see  only  as  one  behind  a  window,  and  in  twi- 
light, and  are  apt  to  fall  into  mistakes.  Many  have 
been  thus  made,  which  have  thrown  the  study  of 
future  prophecy,  for  some,  into  utter  disrepute. 
Yet  who  would  say,  or  think  the  apostle  meant  to 


8  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

say,  that "  through  a  glass  darkly  "  nothing,  or  noth- 
ing to  the  purpose,  could  be  seen?  The  uncertainty 
applies  mainly  to  the  smaller  features;  there  is 
much  certain,  much  that  grows  always  clearer  as 
we  look  upon  it.  Who  that  would  use  the  mistakes 
that  have  been  made  for  discouragement  from  pro- 
phetic study  kas  ever  been  a  student  of  it  ?  I  dare 
to  say,  none.  Granted,  the  mistakes:  let  us  use 
them  for  humility,  use  them  as  arguments  to  more 
prayer,  more  careful  searching,  then,  after  all,  they 
will  be  helpful  in  the  end.  We  can  see  already 
why  and  how  many  of  them  came  about ;  we  can 
see  how  better  to  avoid  them  also  in  the  future, 
and  that  the  Word  was  not  to  blame,  is  not  the  less 
trustworthy,  because  we  made  them.  We  see  that 
we  trusted  it  too  little,  trusted  ourselves  too  much. 
Then  as  to  the  profit.  All  our  blessings  lie  in 
the  field  of  unfulfilled  prophecy.  What  are  all  our 
promises  but  this?  And  then  as  to  the  earth,  and 
what  is  to  take  place  upon  it,  it  is  true  that  such 
interpretations  as  are  common  in  many  popular 
books  leave  one  with  the  profound  sense  that  they 
minister  rather  to  spiritual  dissipation  than  to 
profit.     What  can  be  supposed  more  unprofitable 

;  than  the  question  if  the  antichrist  is  to  come  of  the 
Napoleon  family? — a  great  and  grave  point  with 

1^  many  for  years  past;  or  whether  the  stars  faUing 
from  heaven  might  be  fulfilled  in  a  shower  of 
meteors?     Such  things  seem  to  be  utterly  barren, 

\  and  unworthy  of  a  book  so  solemnly  announced, 

]  so  commended  to  us  as  is  this. 

Surely,  "  he  that  prophesieth  speaketh  to  the 
church  to  edification  and  exhortation  and  comfort" 
might  not  be  an  inapt  word  to  condemn  such  profit- 
less speculation ;   and  there  is  abundance  of  it  in 


THE   PREFACE    TO   THE   BOOK.  9 

popular  commentaries.  But  here  the  question  is 
really  not  of  fulfilled  or  unfulfilled  prophecy.  Such 
supposed  fulfillment  may  be  brought  forward  to 
vindicate  Scripture — which  has  no  need  of  it— or 
a  certain  system  of  interpretation,  which  it  more 
justly  would  set  aside.  But  unfulfilled  prophecy, 
as  we  find  it  in  the  Word  of  God,  even  when  it 
speaks  of  earthly  events,  and  such  as  cannot  be 
while  we  are  upon  the  earth,  always  gives  them 
morally ;  as  what  can  be  more  practical  for  us  than 
to  trace  out  in  the  future,  as  men  are  constantly 
seeking  to  do,  the  results  of  the  present?  In  this 
way  we  may  find  the  scriptural  fall  of  stars  to  have 
the  deepest  significance. 

That  all  here  is  in  the  fullest  way  practical  is 
very  clear,  from  the  blessing  pronounced  on  those 
who  ''keep  the  things  which  are  written"  in  the 
book.  This  "keeping"  is  observing  them  in  such 
a  way  that  our  practical  conduct  shall  be  governed 
by  them.  Indeed  we  shall  find  that  the  wisdom  of 
them  we  must  be  content  to  "  buy,"  with  what  men^ 
would  call  many  a  sacrifice.  There  are  costs  to  be 
counted  if  we  would  possess  it  really.  And  this  is 
the  demand  that  all  truth  makes  upon  us.  It  re- 
quires subjection  to  it  as  the  first  thing.  We  must 
not  trifle  with  the  words  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour, 
nor  set  Him  limits  as  to  how  far  we  shall  obey 
Him.  It  is  this,  however  little  avowed,  that  dark- 
ens the  minds  of  saints,  diminishing  all  spiritual 
perception.  It  is  this  that  is  at  the  bottom  o"f  all 
doctrinal  heresy.  We  will  not  have  the  truth,  and 
seek  out  inventions  to  cover  our  nakedness ;  or  at 
least  we  have  not  the  soldier's  '*  virtue,"  which  is 
courage,  and  so  cannot  "add  to"  our  "virtue 
knowledge." 


lO  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

I  would  warn  my  readers  that  the  book  of  Reve- 
lation makes  great  demands  upon  those  who  keep 
its  words.  But  I  may  assure  them,  on  the  other 
hand,  that  the  more  the  demand  the  greater  the 
blessing.  Can  it  be  otherwise  when  Christ  it  is 
who  is  speaking  to  us  of  that  easy  yoke  and  that 
light  burden,  in  which,  as  we  take  them,  we  find 
rest  to  our  souls?  Will  any  that  know  their  Lord 
charge  Him  with  being  a  ''hard  man,"  or  a  task- 
master? Our  givings  up  are  here  in  reality  only 
gains.  We  have  that  in  Him  which  we  are  never 
called  to  give  up,  and  which  the  more  we  prove  the 
more  its  sufficiency  is  found  for  all  conditions ;  the 
more  we  give  up  for  it  the  deeper  the  endless  joy. 

But  submission  there  must  be.  Absolute  sub- 
mission is  what  He  rightly  calls  for;  and  it  is  well 
to  search  our  hearts,  to  see  if  our  desire  and  pur- 
pose are,  to  give  Him  that  without  reserve.  How 
blessed  to  be  among  those  who  in  uprightness  of 
heart  can  say,  ''  I  esteem  all  Thy  precepts  concern- 
ing all  things  to  be  right,  and  I  hate  every  false 
way"  (Ps.  cxix.  128)! 

T/ie  Style  and  Character  of  the  Book. 

(Chap.  i.  4-8.) 

We  now  come  to  the  opening  words  of  the  book 
itself.  It  is  in  form  a  letter  from  the  beloved 
apostle  to  ''the  seven  assemblies  which  are  in  Asia." 
This  Asia  was  the  Roman  province  called  by  this 
name,  being  the  west  coast  of  what  is  now,  for 
the  sins  of  Christendom,  Turkey  in  Asia.  The 
churches  in  it  were  even  then,  though  traditionally 
the  scene  of  John's  as  in  the  Acts  of  Paul's  labors, 
already  departing  from  the  faith  and  spiritual  power 
of  Christianity ;  and  this,  as  we  may  see  more  here- 


THE  PREFACE  TO  THE  BOOK.         II 

after,  gives  at  once  a  certain  character  to  the  book. 
Whoever  they  were  of  whom  Paul  in  his  very  last 
epistle  says;  "This  thou  knowest,  that  all  they 
which  be  in  Asia  are  turned  away  from  me,  of 
whom  are  Phygellus*  and  Hermogenes,"  it  is  clear 
that  Asia  was  thus  the  scene  of  a  revolt  from  that 
''apostles'  doctrine  and  fellowship"  which  it  was  a 
marked  feature  of  the  bright  Pentecostal  times  tol 
maintain. 

The  salutation  shows  at  once  the  style  of  the 
book.  It  is  not  "grace  and  peace  from  God  the 
Father,  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  but  "from 
Him  who  is,  and  who  was,  and  who  is  to  come ;  and 
from  the  seven  Spirits  which  are  before  His  throne ; 
and  from  Jesus  Christ,  the  faithful  Witness,  and 
the  First-born'^  of  the  dead,  and  the  Ruler  of  the 
kings  of  the  earth."  Here,  it  is  evident,  we  are  not 
in  the  intimacy  of  children,  but  in  the  character  of 
servants,  according  to  what  the  previous  verses 
have  announced.  The  book  is  the  book  of  the 
throne — of  divine  government;  and  that,  not 
merely  of  the  world,  but  of  Christians  no  less. 
Indeed,  where  should  divine  government  be  more 
exemplified  and  maintained  than  among  the  people 
of  God.  "  You  only  have  I  known  of  all  the  families 
of  the  earth,"  says  God  to  His  people  of  old ; 
"therefore  will  I  punish  you  for  your  iniquities." 
It  is  true  that  toward  us  now  grace  is  fully  re- 
vealed, and  the  throne  is  a  "  throne  of  grace,"  but 
its  holiness  is  none  the  less  inflexible.  Would  it  be 
grace  if  it  were  not  so  ?  or  do  we  desire  to  be  de- 

*  As  there  are  many  (smaller  or  gi-eater)  inaccuracies  in  the  common 
version  of  the  book  of  Revelation,  I  take  advantage  of  the  difference  here 
(though  not  a  textual  one,)  to  say  that  I  follow,  wherever  it  is  possible, 
the  new  revision.  Wherever  I  may  not  be  able  to  do  this,  I  hope  to  note 
the  fact,  and  my  reasons. 


12  PRESKNT   THINGS,   ETC. 

livered  from  the  conditions  of  holiness,  or  from  the 
sovereignty  of  God?  No;  grace  enables  for  the 
conditions, — does  not  set  them  aside;*  and  it  sets 
God  fully  on  the  throne  for  us,  makes  the  *'  shout 
of  a  King"  to  be  in  our  midst.  Children  with  the 
Father,  where  should  there  be  whole-hearted,  un- 
reserved obedience  if  not  among  these? 

The  throne  here  is  Jehovah's  throne,  for  "  who 
is,  and  was,  and  is  to  come"  is  just  the  translation 
of  the  covenant-name  of  Israel's  God.  "  Grace  and 
peace  "  salute  us  from  this  unchangeable  One — this 
eternal  God.  The  new  revelation  has  not  displaced, 
nor  mended^  (as  rationalism  would  have  it,)  the  God 
of  Israel  for  us!  It  has  declared  Him:  displaced 
shadows,  filled  in  gaps,  perfected  the  partial  and 
fragmentary  into  the  glorious  God  and  Father  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ !  taught  us  to  see  in  the  older 

,  Scriptures  themselves  a  fullness  of  meaning  of 
which  those  who  wrote  them  could  have  no  pos- 
sible perception.  Do  David's  psalms  yield  us  less 
than  they  yielded  to  faith  of  old  ?    And  if  the  New 

'  Testament  has  no  corresponding  book,  is  it  not 
because,  now  that  the  Spirit  of  God  is  come,  our 
psalmody  is  to  be  found  in  every  book,  which  for 
us  He  has  combined  into  one  harmony  of  praise 
and  triumphant  joy? 

Yes,  the  One  who  is  was,  and  is  to  come.  Our 
present  God  is  He  who  from  first  to  last  abides,  in 
every  generation,  amid  all  changes  changeless; 
sitting  on  high  above  all  water-floods;  whose 
kingdom  is  an  everlasting  kingdom.  What  a 
resting-place  for  faith!  "Lord,  Thou  hast  been 
our  dwelling-place  in  all  generations!" 

But  not  only  are  grace  and  peace  breathed  from 
this   ever-living   One,   but   also  ''from   the   seven 


THE    PREFACE   TO   THE    BOOK.  1 3 

Spirits  which  are  before  His  throne."  We  all  rec- 
ognize at  once  that  these  seven  Spirits  stand  for 
the  plenitude  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  and  in  the  fourth 
chapter  they  are  represented  as  seven  lamps  of  fire 
burning  before  the  throne,  while  in  the  fifth  they 
are  the  '* seven  eyes"  of  the  Lamb,  "sent  forth  into 
all  the  earth."  This,  again,  evidently  connects  with 
Isaiah  xi,  where  these  seven  Spirits  are  seen  to  be 
energies  of  the  Spirit  which  are  found  in  the  Man, 
Christ  Jesus,  as  reigning  over  the  earth. 

"Grace  and  peace,"  then,  from  these — how 
blessed  !  All  the  ministries  of  divine  government 
upon  the  earth  working  in  blessing  toward  us; 
all  the  course  of  things  as  guided  and  controlled 
by  God,  spite  of  all  hindrances,  all  puzzles  and 
perplexities,  still  working  in  one  harmony  of  grace 
and  peace  toward  His  own.  How  easy  to  be  bold 
and  patient  both,  if  we  beUeve  this ! 

Then  also  "from  Jesus  Christ,  the  faithful  Wit- 
ness, and  the  First-born  of  the  dead,  and  the  Ruler 
of  the  kings  of  the  earth."  "  Faithful "  is  empha- 
sized here,  for  our  encouragement  surely,  if  grace 
and  peace  are  from  such  an  One,  but  yet  in  contrast 
with  other  witness  too,  as  that  of  the  Church,  so 
little  faithful.  Is  it  not  a  needed  word  for  those 
oppressed  with  the  sense  of  failure, — almost  ready 
to  give  up  what  are  His  principles,  because  of  the 
break-down  of  those  who  have  undertaken  to  carry 
them  out?  In  such  a  case,  how  good  to  remember 
that  on  the  one  hand  we  are  servants  and  not  mas- 
ters., with  no  liberty  to  dispense  with  one  even  of 
His  commandments,  and  on  the  other,  that  we 
serve  One  who  Himself  is  faithful,  however  we 
have  failed.  Shall  we  go  to  Him  and  say,  "  Master, 
Thy  principles  are  impracticable  for  a  world  and  a 


14  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

time  like  this"?  or  shall  we  lack  in  courage  when 
results  are  in  His  hand  who  has  never  failed,  and 
never  will,  while  He  oftentimes  submits  to  apparent 
defeat.  Such  was  the  cross,  the  victory  of  victories, 
and  we  must  submit,  here  as  elsewhere,  to  the  rule 
of  the  woman's  Seed.  To  this  are  we  not  in  fact 
brought  in  the  next  words?  ''The  First-born  of 
the  dead  "  unites  us  with  Him  as  the  later-born,  and 
resurrection  is  the  mode  of  His  triumph  over 
apparent  defeat.  But  it  is  divine  triumph,  in  which 
not  alone  evil  is  vanquished,  but  God  is  nianifested 
in  His  resources  and  in  His  grace. 

Grace  and  peace  are  ours  from  One  who  is  con- 
queror over  death,  and  who  brings  us  into  the  place 
into  which  as  Forerunner  He  has  entered,  while 
already  He  is,  as  risen,  and  on  the  Father's  throne, 
Ruler  of  the  kings  of  the  earth, — the  scene  through 
which  in  the  meantime  we  are  passing.  In  a  little 
while,  when  He  takes  His  own  throne,  we  shall 
share  also  in  this. 

Thus  are  we  furnished  at  the  outset  for  present 
service.  Placed  before  the  living  and  eternal  God, 
the  energies  of  His  Spirit  ministering  to  us,  the 
Captain  of  our  salvation  cheering  us  on  with  the 
joy  of  already  accomplished  victory,  the  pledge  of 
certainty  as  to  our  own.  Now  for  the  response  of 
our  hearts  to  this  before  we  start:  without  our 
hearts  are  in  tune,  and  we  can  go  cheerily  into  ttie 
battlefield — for  it  is  a  battlefield  into  which  we  go, 
and  not  as  spectators  merely, — we  should  only 
expose  ourselves  there  to  our  shame.  The  singers 
must  be  in  the  forefront  of  the  Lord's  army,  as  in 
Jehoshaphat's  of  old,  and  then  there  will  be  good 
success.  So  the  saints'  answer  to  their  Captain's 
voice  here  is  with  a  song: — 


THE   PREFACE   TO   THE   BOOK.  1 5 

"  Unto  Him  who  loveth  us, 
And  hath  washed*  us  from  our  sins 

In  His  own  blood, 
And  hath  made  us  a  kingdom. 
Priests  to  His  God  and  Father, — 
Unto  Him  be  glory  and  might 
.  Unto  the  ages  of  ages. 

Amen." 

This  is  a  sweet  response  of  loyal  hearts  on  the 
edge  of  the  battlefield.  It  is  the  good  confession  of 
His  name,  and  of  the  debt  we  owe  Him,  which  has 
made  us  His  own  forever.  Good  it  is,  the  open 
joyful  maintenance  of  this,  which  at  once  separates 
us  from  the  world  that  rejects  Him,  and  puts  us  in 
the  ranks  of  His  witnesses  and  followers.  ''  By 
Him  therefore  let  us  offer  the  sacrifice  of  praise  to 
God  continually,  that  is,  the  fruit  of  our  lips,  con- 
fessing His  name."  No  such  wholesome,  invigor- 
ating, gladdening  work  as  is  confession. 

"  Unto  Him  who  loveth  us,"  not  '''■loved  us,"  as  the 
common  version  reads.  It  is  a  present  reality, 
measured  only  aright  by  a  past  work — "  and  hath 
washed  us  from  our  sins  in  His  own  blood."  Let 
us  take  care  we  measure  it  ever  so !  Not  by  our 
own  changeful  feelings  or  experiences,  as  we  are  so 
prone  to  do,  but  by  the  glorious  manifestation  of 
itself  thus:  an  infinite  measure  of  an  infinite  full- 
ness ;  for  who  knows  aright  the  value  of  the  blood 
of  Christ? 

"  And  hath  washed  us  from  our  sins : "  what  an 
encouragement  for  those  who  have  to  go  into  a 


*"  Washed  us,"  I  believe,  is  right.  The  Revised  Version  puts  it,  how- 
ever, into  the  margin,  and  "loosed  us"  into  the  text.  Most  of  the  modern 
editors  agree  with  this,  and  it  has  the  weight  of  the  oldest  MS.  authority  in 
its  favor,  although  the  great  mass  of  MSS.  give  "  washed."  The  latter 
seems  more  in  the  apostle's  manner  as  1  Jno.  i.  7;  Rev.  vii.  14  (though  in 
the  latter  case  it  is  not  persons,  but  robes j. 


1 6  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

world  full  of  temptation  and  defilement!  We  have 
known  sin  as  sin — known  it  as  needing  the  precious 
blood  of  Christ  to  cleanse  us  from  its  guilt,  and 
known  ourselves  too  as  thus  cleansed.  If  we  are 
*'idle  and  unfruitful  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,"  it  can  only  be  because  we  have  "for- 
gotten that "  we  were  ''  purged  from"  our ''  old  sins." 

But  more :  He  has  ''  made  us  a  kingdom,"  priests 
to  His  God  and  Father."  Israel  was  promised, 
conditionally  upon  obedience,  "  Ye  shall  be  unto 
Me  a  kingdom  of  priests,  and  a  holy  nation."  (Ex. 
xix.  6.)  They  failed  in  obedience,  and  Levi's  spe- 
cial priesthood  was  the  consequence  of  their  failure, 
while,  as  part  of  this  failed  people,  not  even  the 
priesthood  could  pass  within  the  vail.  Grace  has 
now  given  us  as  Christians  that  access  to  God  to 
them  denied,  and  to  God  fully  revealed  as  the  God 
and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He  who  has 
thus  revealed  God  has  given  us  our  place  in  His 
presence — a  happy,  holy  place  of  praise  and  inter- 
cession. "To  Him  be  the  glory  and  might  unto 
the  ages  of  ages!" 

An  "Amen"  is  added  here,  that  we  may  as  indi- 
viduals join  our  voices  to  the  voice  of  the  Church 
at  large.  It  is  a  blessed  thing  to  be  part  of  the 
innumerable  company  who  have  a  common  theme 
and  a  common  joy ;  but  it  is  also  blessed  to  have 

*A11  authorities,  upon  the  warrant  of  the  three  oldest  MSS.  and  some 
ancient  versions,  give  this  instead  of  the  "kings  and  priests"  of  our  com- 
mon one.  The  reference  to  Exodus  xix.  is  plain,  but  I  do  not  see  how  in 
either  passage  we  have  the  equivalent  of  the  other  reading.  A  "  kingdom 
of  priests  "  does  not  convey  the  thought  of  "  kings  and  priests,"  which  we 
have,  however,  undoubtedly,  in  chap.  v.  10.  Is  it  not  rather  a  people  Avho 
own  God's  sovereignty,  instead  of  being  a  rabble  of  independent  and 
rebellious  wills,  as  once  ?  AVell  may  we  praise  Him  who  has  done  all  this 
for  us  !  Internal  criticism,  however,  as  opposed  to  authorities,  might 
suggest  the  defensibility  of  the  "Received  Text."  The  MSS.  are  evidently 
here  also  in  some  confusion. 


THE    PREFACE   TO   THE   BOOK.  1 7 

our  own  distinct  utterance  and  our  own  peculiar 
joy.  The  more  distinct  the  better.  Would  the 
apostle  have  felt  it  the  same  thing  to  say,  ''  Who 
loved  us,  and  gave  Himself  for  us,"  true  as  it  might 
be,  as  to  say,  '*Who  loved  me,  and  gave  Himself  for 
me''  ?  Assuredly  he  would  not.  The  "chief  of 
sinners,"  realizing  himself  that,  had  something 
which  was  individual  to  himself,  and  which  would 
not  be  lost  or  overlooked  in  the  general  song.  And 
we  have,  each  one  of  us  surely,  special  experiences 
to  call  forth  pecuHar  praise.  Note,  too,  that  the 
power  of  the  life  lived  to  God  is  associated  by  him 
with  this  individualization:  ''The  life  which  I  now 
live  in  the  flesh  I  live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of 
God,  \vho  loved  me,  and  gave  Himself  for  me." 

Thus,  then,  the  heart  gives  out  its  response  to  its 
beloved  Lord.  Now,  then,  it  is  qualified  for  testi- 
mony to  Him.  "  If  we  be  beside  ourselves,  it  is  to 
God ;  if  we  be  sober,  it  is  for  your  cause."  The 
soul  in  company  with  Christ  turns  necessarily  to 
the  world  with  its-  testimony  of  Him :  the  Enoch- 
life  is  joined  with  the  Enoch-witness.  For  it  was 
he  of  whom  it  is  written,  ''he  walked  with  God, 
and  he  was  not,  for  God  took  him,"  who  "prophe- 
sied, saying,  '  Behold,  the  Lord  cometh  with  ten 
thousands  of  His  saints,  to  execute  judgment  upon 
all.' "  The  Church  it  is  who  is  called,  like  another 
Enoch,  to  walk  here  with  Him  whom  she  is  soon 
to  be  called  away  to  meet  and  be  ever  with ;  and 
the  next  verse  in  Revelation  puts  into  her  mouth 
her  similar  testimony  : — 

"  Behold,  He  cometh  with  clouds,  and  every  eye 
shall  see  Him,  and  they  also  which  pierced  Him,  and 
all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  shall  wail  because  of  Him." 

This  is  evidently  not  the  Church's  hope,  but  the 


1 8  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

Church's  testimony.  It  takes  up  the  theme  of  the 
Old-Testament  prophets,  with  direct  appeal  even 
to  their  prophecies ;  for  Daniel  saw  of  old  the  Son 
of  Man  come  with  the  clouds  of  heaven,  and  Zech- 
ariah  declares  how  Israel  look  upon  Him  whom 
they  have  pierced,  and  how  the  tribes  of  the  land 
mourn  for  Him,  as  one  mourneth  for  his  only  son, 
and  are  in  heaviness  as  he  that  is  in  heaviness  for 
his  first-born."  (Dan.  vii.  13;  Zech.  x.  10,  12.) 

I  do  not  doubt  that,  while  the  words  in  Revela- 
tion repeat  the  very  language  of  the  older  prophets, 
— for  "kindreds"  in  the  common  version  is  literally 
"tribes,"  and  "earth"  and  "land"  are,  both  in  He- 
brew and  Greek,  but  the  same  word, — yet  that  in 
the  passage  before  us  a  wider  application  is  to  be 
made  than  this.  Not  only  shall  they  see  who  have 
pierced  Him.,  but  "  every  eye."  Naturally,  therefore, 
not  the  tribes  of  the  land  only,  but  of  the  earth  at 
large,  shall  wail  on  account  of  Him.  The  testimony 
is  neither  to  nor  of  Israel  only,  though  including 
these.  And  while  the  mourning  in  Zechariah  is 
unto  repentance,  the  word  here  is  large  enough  to 
admit  of  the  wail  of  despair  as  well  as  of  repentance. 

The  Church's  testimony  is  addressed  to  all. 
Christ  is  coming ;  the  day  of  grace  running  out ; 
judgment  nearing  with  every  stroke  of  the  hour. 
A  testimony  which  we  know  from  Scripture,  as  we 
may  realize  every  day  around  us,  wakes  only  the 
scorn  of  "  scoffers,  walking  in  their  own  lusts,  and 
saying,  Where  is  the  promise  of  His  coming  ?  for 
since  the  fathers  fell  asleep  all  things  continue  as 
they  were  from  the  beginning  of  the  creation." 
Whose,  then,  is  this  Voice  which  here  solemnly  con- 
firms the  testimony  of  approaching  judgment?  It  is 
surely  none  other  than  the  voice  of  God  Himself: — , 


THE   PREFACE   TO   THE   BOOK.  1 9 

"  Yea,  amen :  I  am  x\lpha  and  Omega,  saith  the 
Lord  God,  which  is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is 
to  come,  the  Almighty." 

The  ''Yea,  amen,"  are  not,  as  our  books  give 
them,  part  of  the  seventh  verse,  but  commence  the 
verse  following ;  and  the  words  "  I  am  Alpha  and 
Omega,  the  Eternal,  )he  Almighty,"  exhibit  fully 
the  One  with  whom  men's  unbelief  brings  them 
into  controversy.  He  challenges  all  unbelief.  Is 
He  not  doing  so  to-day,  when  on  every  side  signs 
political,  ecclesiastical,  moral,  and  spiritual  warn 
men,  if  they  will  but  attend,  that  the  Lord  is  at 
hand?  Why,  the  cry  itself  is  a  sign — "  Behold  the 
Bridegroom  ! "  Can  they  deny  it  has  gone  forth  ? 
Call  it  a  mistake ;  call  it  enthusiasm ;  call  it  high 
treason  to  the  world's  magnificent  and  immense 
progress;  still  it  stands  written, — 

''  And  at  midnight  there  was  a  cry,  *  Behold  the 
bridegroom !  go  ye  forth  to  meet  him ! '  .  .  .  And 
as  they  went  to  buy,  the  bridegroom  earned 

He  who  speaks  is  Alpha  and  Omega,  whose  word 
is  the  beginning  and  end  of  all  speech :  all  that  can 
be  said  is  said  when  He  has  spoken ;  at  the  begin- 
ning, who  spoke  all  things  into  being,  and  whose 
word,  "  It  is  done,"  will  fix  their  eternal  state. 

He  who  speaks  is  Jehovah,  the  covenant-keeping 
God,  unchangeable  amid  all  changes,  true  "to  His 
threats  and  to  His  promises  alike. 

And  He  who  speaks  is  the  Almighty,  lacking  no 
power  to  fulfill  His  counsel.  This  is  He  who  says, 
''  Yea,  amen,"  to  the  testimony  that  He  who  was 
crucified  in  weakness  shall  come  again  in  power, 
and  every  knee  shall  bow  to  Him,  and  every  tongue 
confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of 
God  the  Father. 


20  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  AMONG  THE  CHURCHES. 

(Rev.  i.  9-20.) 

E  come  now  to  the  vision  which  introduces 


W 


the  messages  to  the  seven  assembUes  which 
with  it  constitute  the  first  part  of  the  book.  The 
second  part  is  similarly  introduced  by  the  vision  of 
the  fourth  and  fifth  chapters.  There  is  a  very 
evident  and  characteristic  difference  between  the 
stand-points  of  the  two.  In  the  one  case  it  is  John, 
companion  with  the  saints  in  tribulation  and  en- 
durance, and  the  scene  is  on  earth  ;  in  the  other  case 
he  is  called  up  to  heaven,  and  the  scene  is  there. 

The  apostle  writes,  not  as  such,  but  as  one  in  the 
common  fellowship  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus,  with 
whom  testimony  and  suffering  were  linked  neces- 
sarily together,  the  kingdom  to  be  reached  through 
tribulation.  He  being  in  Patmos  for  the  word  of 
God  and  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ,  the 
word  of  God  is  afresh  communicate^  to  him,  and 
the  testimony  of  Christ  anew  committed  into  his 
hands.  Is  it  not  the  abiding  principle,  only  in  a 
more  than  usually  eminent  example,  that  "  to  him 
that  hath  shall  more  be  given"?  Did  ever  any  one 
find  himself  so  in  Patmos  without  learning  some- 
thing of  the  revelations  of  Patmos?  Surely  it  could 
not  be.  Joseph  becomes  in  his  prison  the  "  revealer 
of  secrets ; "  Moses  in  his  wilderness  banishment 
sees  the  burning  bush ;  David  in  his  affliction 
develops  the  sweet  singer  of  Israel;  Paul  gives  out 
the  mystery  of  the  Church  from  the  place  of  his 
captivity ;  John  follows  only  in  the  footsteps  of 
these ;  and  those  who  have  followed  him,  though  at 
a  humbler  distance,  and  with  no  fresh  revelations 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  AMONG  THE  CHURCHES.        21 

because  the  Word  of  God  is  complete,  have  they  no 
unfoldings  of  the  Word,  no  nearer  views  of  its 
Subject  and  Revealer,  to  more  than  compensate  for 
the  sorrow  of  the  way — rhapsodies  though  they 
may  seem  to  those  of  days  of  less  demand  and  less 
enthusiasm? 

Yet  when  the  apostle  puts  himself  down  thus 
simply  as  "  partaker  with  you  in  the  tribulation  and 
kingdom  and  patience  in  Jesus,"  does  he  not  expect 
us  also,  and  invite  us,  as  it  were,  into  this  fellow- 
ship? and  must  we  not  in  some  true  sense  be  there 
in  order  to  profit  aright  by  this  communication? 
If  we  will  be  friends  with  the  world,  can  we  expect 
to  understand  or  be  in  sympathy  with  the  prophet 
of  Patmos?  And  if  it  be  a  Christian  world  we 
think  of,  the  words  have  nothing  but  an  evil  signifi- 
cance, if  we  take  the  significance  from  Scripture. 
But  among  the  many  tongues  with  which  for  our 
sins  we  are  afflicted,  how  few  are  content  to  speak 
simply  the  language  of  Scripture ! 

''  I  became  in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  day,"  it 
should  be.  It  was  not  simply  in  the  right  and 
normal  Christian  state  in  which  John  found  himself, 
as  so  many  think,  but  carried  out  of  himself  by  the 
power  of  the  Spirit;  his  senses  closed  to  other 
things,  his  spirit  awake  to  behold  the  things  pre- 
sented to  him,  and  hear  the  voice  that  speaks  to  us 
also  in  him.  The  expression  is  found  again  in  the 
beginning  of  the  fourth  chapter,  at  the  opening  of 
the  vision  there. 

"On  the  Lord's  day"  does  not  mean,  as  some 
suppose,  the  prophetic  ''day  of  the  Lord,"  for  which 
there  is  a  different  expression,  and  which  would 
not  really  apply  at  all  to  this  first  vision  and  what 
follows  it.     It  is  the  Lord's  day,  the  day  of  Chris- 


22  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

tian  privilege,  in  which  in  the  joy  of  His  resurrec- 
tion we  look  back  upon  His  death.  Yet  this  does 
not  surely  shut  out  the  looking  forward  to  His 
coming:  ''ye  do  show  forth  the  Lord's  death  till 
He  come."  This  is  the  only  right  attitude  for  the 
Christian  to  be  in,  as  one  that  expects  his  Lord. 
And  this  is  indeed  why,  as  it  would  seem,  the  voice 
that  John  hears  speaks  behind  him,  and  he  has  to 
turn  to  see  the  One  who  speaks  to  him.  His  atten- 
tion is  to  be  directed  to  the  present  state  of  the 
Church ;  turned  back,  therefore,  from  the  contem- 
plation of  the  coming  glory,  to  what  to  one  so 
engrossed  is  a  thing  behind. 

He  turns,  and  sees  seven  golden  candlesticks,  or 
"  lampstands,"  as  the  word  is.  They  answer  in 
number  to  the  seven  lamps  of  fire  burning  before 
the  throne,  the  significance .  of  which  we  have 
already  seen.  They  represent,  as  we  are  told,  the 
seven  assemblies  {zk  20),  and,  plainly,  as  responsible 
to  exhibit  the  light  of  the  Spirit,  during  the  night 
of  the  Lord's  absence.  The  reference  to  the  golden 
candlestick  of  the  sanctuary  is  evident,  and  the 
contrast  with  it  is  as  much  intended  for  our  notice, 
and  should  be  as  evident.  The  candlestick  of  the 
sanctuary  was  one  only,  its  six  branches  set  into 
the  central  stem,  and  it  speaks  of  Christ,  not  the 
j  Church.  The  seven  candlesticks  are  for  lights,  not 
kin  the  sanctuary,  where  Christ  alone  is  that,  but  in 
lithe  world.  And  while  there  is  a  certain  unity,  as 
representing  doubtless  the  whole  Church,  yet  it  is 
the  Church  seen,  not  in  its  dependent  connection 
with  Christ,  but  historically  and  externally,  as 
''  churches."  Each  lampstand  is  set  upon  its  own 
base,  stands  in  its  own  responsibility,  as  is  manifest. 
To  speak  of  the  Son  of  Man  in  the  midst  as  the 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  AMONG  THE  CHURCHES.        25 

invisible  bond  of  union  is  surely  a  mistake.      He 
is  judging,  not  uniting. 

Moreover,  it  is  the  Church  in  the  larger,  not  the 
narrower  sense  here.  Sardis  as  a  whole  is  dead, 
and  not  alive.  Christ  is  outside  of  Laodicea.  In- 
dividually, they  are  local  assemblies,  which,  as  we 
shall  see,  stand  each  for  the  professing  church  of  a 
certain  epoch,  or  what  in  it  characterizes  the  epoch. 
To  see  in  them  but  Ephesus  and  its  contemporary 
churches,  as  a  large  mass^of  interpreters  still  do,  is 
indeed  to  be  blind,  and  not  see  afar  off;  but  the 
proof  as  to  this  comes  naturally  later.  They  are 
golden  candlesticks,  as  set  for  the  display  of  the 
glory  of  God  (of  which  the  gold  speaks) ;  but  this 
is  not  what  of  necessity  is  displayed  by  them  ;  they 
have  the  privilege  and  responsibility  of  it,  but  the 
candlestick  may  be,  and  in  fact  is,  removed. 

But  the  vision  here  is  not  simply,  nor  mainly,  of 
the  candlesticks — the  churches;  it  is  of  One  rather 
from  whom  alone  they  receive  all  their  importance, 
— "One  like  unto  the  Son  of  man,  clothed  with  a 
garment  down  to  the  foot,  and  girt  about  at  the 
breasts  with  a  golden  girdle."     The  attire  is  that  \ 
of  a  priest,  but  not  in  service,  for  the  girdle  is  not 
about  the  loins,  and  the  dress  hangs  loosely  to  the  > 
feet.     As  Priest,  He  is  therefore  a  son  of  man,  but  j 
He  is  more;  and  this  the  words,  ''One  like  unto  the  * 
Son  of  man,"  indicate.      Why  "like  unto"  this,  if 
He  were  indeed  only  this?    The  precise  expression, 
moreover,  is  from  Daniel,  as  what  follows  unites 
with  it  the  features  of  the  Ancient  of  days  as  pic- 
tured there.     Thus  it  is  the  divine-human  Priest, 
the  true  Mediator  between  God  and  men,  as  God 
and  Man. 

Yet  He  is  not  interceding.  The  characters  which 


24  PRESENT  THINGS,    ETC. 

follow  show  Him  as  when  He  comes  to  judge  the 
world,  and  these  are  applied,  in  the  third  and  fourth 
addresses,  to  the  judgment  of  the  churches.  ''  His 
head  and  His  hair  were  white  as  white  wool,  as 
snow  ; "  this  marks  Him  as  the  Ancient  of  days,  the 
perfection  of  holy  wisdom;  ''and  His  eyes  were 
like  a  flame  of  fire  " — with  the  same  absolute  holi- 
ness searching  all  things;  ''and  His  feet  like  unto 
white  [-hot]  brass,  as  glowing  in  a  furnace*," — judg- 
ment following,  as  inexorable  against  evil;  "and 
His  voice  as  the  voice  of  many  waters," — the  sound 
of  that  ocean  which  reduces  man  so  easily  to  his 
native  littleness  and  impotence. 

Such  is  He  who  in  grace  has  become  the  Son  of 
man,  but  whose  holiness  is  as  unchangeable  as  His 
love  is  perfect.  All  judgment  is  committed  unto 
Him,  because  He  is  the  Son  of  man.  The  Church 
and  the  world  alike  are  in  His  hand  whose  glorious 
uprising  will  bring,  in  a  short  time,  summer  to  the 
earth.  "And  He  had  in  His  right  hand  seven 
stars;  and  out  of  His  mouth  goeth  a  sharp  two- 
edged  sword ;  and  His  countenance  was  as  the 
sun  shineth  in  its  strength." 

All  this  exhibits  the  Lord  as  just  ready  to  come 
forth  and  take  the  kingdom ;  it  is  as  if  He  had  left 
the  sanctuary,  and  were  clothing  Himself  in  the 
I  cloud  with  which  He  returns.  And  so  Scripture, 
when  urging  our  responsibility  upon  us,  carries  us 
constantly  on  to  the  day  of  His  appearing,  when 
the  result  of  conduct  will  be  brought  out  and  mani- 
fested to  all.  There  is  a  wide  distinction  always 
recognized  between  this  and  His  coming  to  receive 
us  to  Himself,  with  which  nothing  but  grace  is  as- 

*On  the  whole,  this  seems  the  sense;  but  a  wor^  unknown  to  the 
lexicons  perplexes  the  commentators. 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  AMONG  THE  CHURCHES.        25 

sociated.  This  is  the  time  when  we  receive  the  fruit 
of  His  work ;  and  beautiful  it  is  to  see,  and  un- 
speakably comforting  it  is  to  realize,  that  first  of 
all — before  any  thing  else,  His  heart  must  have  its 
way,  and  the  sufficiency  of  His  cross  be  shown  to 
set  the  believer  in  full,  unchallengeable  possession 
of  eternal  blessedness,  before  ever  a  note  of  judg- 
ment has  sounded,  or  a  question  as  to  his  work 
been  made.  And  this  is  plain  from  the  fact  of  what 
the  resurrection  of  the  saint  is  stated  to  be.  *'  It  is 
sown  in  corruption  " — the  body  of  the  dead  saint ; — 
"■  it  is  raised  in  incorruption :  it  is  sown  in  dishonor; 
it  is  raised  in  glory :  it  is  sown  in  weakness ;  it  is 
raised  in  power."  And  we  who  are  alive  and  re- 
main unto  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  we  shall  be 
changed  like  them*  into  the  image  of  the  heavenly, 
and  caught  up  together  with  them,  to  meet  the 
Lord  in  the  air.  Thus  incorruption,  glory,  power,) 
are  ours  before  ever  we  see  the  face  of  the  Lord  \ 
or  are  manifested  before  His  judgment-seat.  j 

But  with  His  appearing  is  associated  the  recom- 
pense of  works;  and  thus  all  exhortations,  warn- 
ings, encouragements,  contemplate  this.  And  so 
the  Lord  is  seen  in  the  vision  here,  though  among 
the  churches.  In  this  way  all  is  simple,  and  we ' 
cannot  confound  His  being  "in  the  midst  of  the  ■ 
assembly  "  with  His  being  in  the  midst  of  the  as- 
sembhV\y,  or  seek  for  principles  of  gathering  in  what 
is  of  a  totally  different  nature.  ''  Who  walkctJi  in 
the  midst  of  the  seven  golden  candlesticks  "  is  the 
Lord's  own  word  to  the  church  in  Ephesus.  How 
different  is  the  thought  of  His  walking  in  the 
midst  from  His  being  in  the  midst  as  the  centre  of 
gathering ! 

Principles  of  church-order  and  discipline  are  not 


26  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

to  be  sought  in  the  book  of  Revelation.  It  is  most 
important  to  reahze  that  God's  Word,  if  it  be 
beyond  our  systems,  has  a  system  of  its  own ;  and 
that  He  has  so  arranged  His  truth  that  His  people 
may  know  where  to  look  for  it,  and  find  it  with 
more  simplicity  than  in  fact  we  do.  Each  book  has 
its  line  of  truth,  distinct  from,  however  much  con- 
nected with,  every  other  one.  The  first  of  Corinth- 
-t^*^  ians  is  the  book  of  church-order  and  discipline. 
^  Revelation  is  the  book  of  the  throne,  and  divine 
judgment.  And  the  simplest  view  of  the  vision 
before  us  agrees  with  this,  which  will  only  be  more 
manifest  the  deeper  we  look. 

The  vision  of  glory  overpowers  the  apostle: 
"  And  when  I  saw  Him,  I  fell  at  His  feet  as  dead. 
And  He  laid  His  right  hand -upon  me,  saying, 
'  Fear  not.'  "  How  the  Christ  of  the  gospel  comes 
out  here !  What  words  more  characteristic  of  Him 
than  this,  "Fear  not"?  "Perfect  love  casteth  out 
fear,"  and  such  love  is  His  who  speaks,  not  alone 
to  John  in  this,  but  to  all  who,  realizing  more  His 
majesty  than  His  grace,  would  put  Him  back  into 
the  distance  and  darkness  from  which  He  has  come 
out  to  us.  What  we  are  is  no  more  in  question ; 
the  cross  has  manifested  that  fully :  all  for  us  lies 
now  in  what  He  is ;  and  the  cross  has  revealed  that 
too.  Word  and  deed  witness  for  Him  and  unto  us, 
and  His  right  hand  of  power  acts  with  His  word : 
"Fear  not;  I  am  the  First  and  the  Last,  and  the 
Living  One  ;  and  I  was  dead,  and  behold,  I  am  alive 
for  evermore,  and  have  the  keys  of  death  and  of 
hades." 

Here  again  divine  and  human  characters  are 
mingled.  The  First  is  Cause  of  all ;  the  Last,  the 
end  of  all.     "  All  things  were  created  by  Him  and 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  AMONG  THE  CHURCHES.   2/ 

for  Him:"  no  expression  of  divinity  could  be 
clearer  or  fuller  than  this.  Then  the  Living  One 
is  necessarily  also  the  Source  of  life, — living  and 
life-giving.  But  this  Living  One  has  died,  gone 
into  death  to  become  its  Conqueror.  Alive  fon 
evermore.  He  has  the  keys  of  death  and  of  hades, 
— that  is,  of  that  which  holds  the  body  and  that 
which  holds  the  soul  of  the  dead.*  Thus  man'slyir' 
condition  is  plumbed  to  the  bottom,  for  death  is 
the  seal  of  that  condition.  Only  that  which  meetsj 
the  condition  can  break  the  seal  of  it. 

He,  then,  who  has  been  in  death  for  us  has  turned 
its  awful  shadow  into  morning,  not  to  bring  back 
indeed  out  of  its  grasp  the  first  creation,  but  to 
open  for  us  the  door  into  infinitely  higher  blessing. 
The  gates  of  strengthf  have  yielded  to  our  Samson, 
and  more:  out  of  the  eater  comes  forth  meat,  and 
out  of  the  strong  sweetness.  How  beyond  measure 
is  this  love  of  One  who,  though  the  Living  One, 
has  been  in  death  for  us!  How  rich  have  we  be- 
come through  this  voluntary  poverty!  And  "He 
who  descended  is  the  same  also  who  ascended  up, 
far  above  all  heavens,  that  He  might  fill  all  things." 

He  goes  on: — 

"  Write,  then" — with  this  assurance, — "the  things 
which  thou  hast  seen,  and  the  things  which  are, 
and  the  things  which  shall  be  after  these ;  the  mys- 
tery of  the  seven  stars  which  thou  sawest  in  My 

*A  similar  connection  of  death  and  hades  is  found  in  the  twentieth 
chapter:  "  Death  and  liades  delivered  up  the  dead  which  were  in  them  "— 
the  one,  the  soul ;  the  other,  the  body,  "  Hades  "  is  never  "  the  grave,"  as 
our  common  version  sometimes  renders  it,  and  never  "  hell,"  which  is  its 
alternate  rendering.  ••  Thou  wilt  not  leave  My  soul  in  hell,"  as  spoken  of 
the  Lord  (Acts  ii,  27,  31),  agrees  with  neither.  The  distinction  in  these 
terms  shows  very  simply  that  it  is  the  body  only  which  really  dies,  or  over 
which  death  has  its  proper  empii*e. 

f'Gaza"  means  "the  strong." 


28  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

right  hand,  and  the  seven  golden  candlesticks.  The 
seven  stars  are  the  angels  of  the  seven  churches, 
and  the  seven  candlesticks  are  the  seven  churches." 

These  words  give  us  the  division  of  the  book. 
''The  things  which  are"  must  needs  apply  to  the 
seven  assemblies  and  their  state.  ''The  things 
which  shall  be  after  these  " — not  "  hereafter,"  which 
is  too  vague, — to  the  things  which  follow  from  the 
fourth  chapter  on.  This  is  evident,  whatever  view 
we  take  of  the  interpretation  of  these  sections. 
With  the  first  of  them  only  have  we  to  do  here, — 
"the  things  which  are,"  or  present  things. 

Present,  then,  in  what  sense?  present  at  that 
time  merely,  and  now  long  past?  or,  as  many  now 
consider,  present  still?  Do  the  addresses  to  the 
churches  give  only  such  lessons  for  us  here  to-day 
as  must  necessarily  be  found  in  what  is  said  to 
Christian  gatherings  of  by-gone  days  by  One  who 
with  perfect  wisdom,  knowledge,  holiness,  and  love 
speaks  to  just  such  as  we  are?  Or  is  there,  beside 
all  this,  as  many  believe,  a  more  precise,  designed 
correspondence  between  these  seven  Asiatic  assem- 
blies and  as  many  successive  periods  in  the  "history 
of  the  Church  at  large — a  prophetic  teaching  for 
all  time,  until  the  Lord  come,  and  our  path  here  is 
ended?  Let  us  look  briefly  at  what  has  been 
urged  as  to  this  latter  view. 

Against,  it  has  been  -urged  that  the  addresses  are 
not  given  as  a  prophecy  of  the  future,  but  simply 
as  to  churches  then  existing,  now  long  passed  away. 
This  is  undoubtedly  the  most  forcible  objection 
that  has  been  made;  for  imagination  is  unholy 
license  in  the  things  of  God,  and  the  addresses 
have  not  the  general  style  of  prophecy,  as  must  be 
admitted.     We  do  right,  then,  to  be  watchful  here. 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  AMONG  THE  CHURCHES.        29 

But  answer  has  been  made  to  this:  in  the  first 
place,  that  at  the  very  beginning  of  the  book,  we 
have  the  whole  of  it  called  2i prophecy :  "Blessed  is 
he  that  readeth  and  they  that  hear  the  words  of  the 
book  of  this  prophecy,  and  keep  the  things  that  are 
w^ritten  therein."     It  seems,  therefore,  that  we  have  \ 
distinqt  warrant  for  holding  the  addresses  to  be  \ 
prophetic,  and  that  we  should  rather  require  it  for  / 
refusing  them  this  place. 

Beside  this,  the  disguise  which  confessedly  they 
assume  may  be  accounted  for.  The  Christian's  priv- 
ilege and  duty  are,  to  be  always  expecting  his  Lord. 
He  who  says  in  his  heart.  My  Lord  delay eth  His 
coming,  is  a  ''  wicked  servant."  There  was  to  be 
left  room  for  this  expectancy,  as  the  best  help 
against  discouragement,  the  most  effectual  remedy 
against  settling  down  in  the  world,  the  best  means 
of  fixing  the  eyes  upon  Christ  and  things  above. 
This  was  not  to  beget  false  hope  or  encourage  mis- 
take, for  the  time  of  the  Lord's  return  they  were 
assured  they  did  not  know :  *'  Watch,  for  ye  know 
not  when  the  time  is."  But  thus  to  put  before  men 
a  prophecy  of  a  long  earthly  history  for  the  Church 
would  be  to  destroy  what  was  to  be  a  main  charac- 
teristic of  Christians,  to  take  out  of  their  hands  the 
lamp  of  testimony  to  the  world  itself,  the  virgin's 
lamp  lighted  to  go  forth  to  meet  her  Lord. 

And  it  is  blessed  to  see  that  now,  if,  in  the  end  of 
the  days,  the  full  meaning  is  being  revealed,  and  we 
are  shown  how  much  of  the  road  we  have  actually 
traveled,  the  effect  is,  after  all  the  long  delay,  to 
encourage  expectation,  not  to  damp  it.  That  we  > 
are  nearing  the  end  is  sure ;  that  any  part  of  the ' 
road  remains  before  us  to  be  trodden,  we  have  no 
assurance.     The  very  thing  which  to  past  genera- 


30  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

tions  would  have  been  an  evil  too  fully  to  disclose 
is  now  for  us  as  great  and  manifest  a  gain. 

For  the  prophetic  view  is  further  urged  the  con- 
stant emphatic  appeal  to  our  attention  with  which 
every  one  of  these  addresses  ends.  Was  it  only  for 
men  of  that  day  and  place  that  it  is  written,  ''  He 
that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
unto  the  churches"?  No  part  of  Scripture  is  so 
emphasized  beside.  Again,  are  there  no  candle- 
sticks amid  which  Christ  walks  except  those  of 
these  Asiatic  churches?  The  very  number  7  is 
characteristic  of  this  book,  as  it  is  significant  of 
completeness  also.  As  the  seven  Spirits  speak  of 
the  complete  energy  of  the  one  blessed  Spirit,  do 
not  the  seven  churches  stand  for  the  varied  aspects 
of  the  one  Church  of  God  on  earth? 

And  to  them  as  representatives  of  this  one 
Church  is  the  whole  book  committed, — not  for 
their  own  use  merely,  but  for  ours.  As  John  is 
the  representative  servant,  so  the  churches  are 
representatives  of  the  Church. 

But  the  great  proof  of  the  correctness  of  the 
prophetic  view  is  (what  as  yet  it  would  be  prema- 
ture at  any  length  to  enter  on,)  the  real  correspond- 
ence between  the  picture  given  of  the  seven 
churches  and  the  well-known  history  of  the  pro- 
fessing, church.  We  have  the  successive  steps  of 
its  decline— first  hidden,  then  external;  the  judaiz- 
ing  process  by  which  it  Was  transformed  from  a 
company  of  saved  and  heavenly  people  into  a 
mixed  multitude  uncertain  of  heaven,  clinging  to 
the  certainties  of  earth ;  away  from  God,  and  com- 
mitting the  sacred  things,  for  which  they  are  too 
unclean,  to  an  official  class  of  go-betweens.  Then 
open  union  with  the  world,  once  persecuting,  now 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  AMONG  THE  CHURCHES.   3 1 

friendly,  Balaam-teachers  for  hire-  promoting  and 
celebrating  it.  Then  the  reign  of  Jezebel,  inspired 
and  infallible,  her  cup  full  of  abominations  and 
filthiness  of  her  fornication.  Then  Protestantism, 
soon  forgetting  the  things  which  it  had  heard,  sunk 
into  its  grave  of  nationalism,  though  with  a  separate 
remnant  as  ever,  dear  to  God.  Then  an  era  of 
revival  and  blessing,  the  Spirit  of  God  working 
freely,  outside  of  sectarian  boundary-lines,  uniting 
to  Christ  and  to  one  another.  Then,  alas !  collapse 
and  threat  of  removal,  Christ  rejected  and  outside, 
the  lukewarmness  of  water  ready  to  be  spued  out 
of  His  mouth. 

Such  is  the  picture:  does  it  appeal  to  us?   In  thci 
midst  of  all  this,  in  the  central  church,  the  centre 
of  the  darkness,  at  midnight  surely,  there  begins  a! 
cry,  faint  though  at  first,  but  gathering  strength  as 
the  time  goes  on,  "Go  ye  out  to  meet  Him!"     In^' 
Thyatira  first,  "Hold  fast  till  I  come!"   To  Sardis," 
"  I  will  come  on  thee  as  a  thief."    To  Philadelphia, 
— more  as  in  haste  now, — "  I  come  quickly.''    Then : 
Laodicea,  and  the  end !  * 

Does  this  appeal  to  us?  What  follows  then? 
Briefly :  a  scene  in  heaven,  and  a  redemption-song 
before  the  throne ;  a  Lamb  slain,  who  as  Judah's 
Lion  unseals  the  seven-sealed  book;  churches  no 
more  on  earth,  but  once  more  Jews  and  Gentiles ; 
and  out  of  these,  a  multitude  who  come  out  of  the 
great  tribulation ;  until,  after  the  marriage  of  the 
Lamb  has  taken  place  in  heaven,  its  gates  unclose, 
and  the  white-horsed  Rider  and  His  armies  come 
out  to  the  judgment  of  the  earth. 

This  to  many  even  yet  may  read  as  strange  as 
any  fiction.  I  cannot  of  course  enter  on  it  now. 
But  there  are  those  who  object  that  by  this  view 


32  PRESENF   THINGS,    ETC. 

jt?"  the  relative  importance  of  events  is  quite  inverted. 

Ia'**    xfTwo  chapters  give  us  the  whole  course  of  christen- 

li/*   /dom;  the  largest  part  of  the  book  by  far  is  taken 

*1         up  with  the  details  of  some  seven  years  after  the 

I  'Church  is  removed  to  heaven:    why  so  rapid  a 

survey  of  what  so  immediately  concerns  us? — so 

lengthy  a  relation  of  what  will  not  take  place  till 

.  after  the  saints  of  the  present  time  have  passed 

}  from  the  scene? 

But  how  often  are  we  mistaken  in  the  relative 
importance  of  things!  God  seeth  not  as  man  seeth; 
and  the  common  view  which  appropriates  seal  after 
seal  to  the  succession  of  Roman  emperors,  trumpet 
,  after  trumpet  to  the  inroads  of  Goths  and  Vandals, 
vial  after  vial  to  the  French  revolution  and  Napo- 
leonic wars,  has  surely  missed  His  estimate  of 
importance.  But  more:  the  events  which  fill  so 
many  chapters  have  indeed  for  us  the  very  greatest 
significance.  The  time  is  that  ''end  of  the  age" 
which  is  the  harvest  of  the  world ;  it  is  the  judg- 
ment for  which  all  around  is  ripening,  and  in  which 
every  thing  comes  out  as  He  who  judges  sees  it. 
Is  it  not  for  us  of  the  greatest  possible  moment  to 
see  that  final,  conclusive  end  of  what  is  now  often 
so  pretentious  and  delusive?  Here  we  may  surely 
gather,  if  we  will,  lessons  of  sanctilication  of  the 
most  practical  nature.  Indeed  we  are  sanctified 
by  the  truth ;  and  whatever  is  of  the  truth  will 
sanctify. 


EPHESUS.  33 


THE  ADDRESSES  TO  THE  CHURCHES. 


Ephesus,  the  Decline  of  the  Church. 

(Rev.  ii.  1-7.) 

TT  is  not  in  any  wise  as  being  the  metropolitan 
^     church    of   Asia   that    we    find    Ephesus    first 
addressed.     This,  which  has  been  the  thought  of 
many,   has   assuredly   no    countenance    from    the 
Word.     The   Church   of   God,  which   is   Christ's »    ^^ 
body,  is  not  composed  of  churches,  but  of  members,;  *^ 
united  together  by  that  blessed  Spirit  which  unites*^    1^ 
all  to  Christ  the  Head.     Hence,  the  "churches," or;       ^ 
*' assemblies,"  are  only  local  gatherings  of  so  many  ^fst^ 
Christians  as  find  themselves,  in  the  providence  of 
God,  actually  together.     Each  of  these  is,  accord- 
ing to  Scripture,  the  Church  in  that  place,  as  the 
true  text  reads  invariably  in  these  two  chapters. 
This  expanded  would  be,  as  in  the  epistle  to  the 
Corinthians,  the  "  Church  of  God  "  in  such  or  such  \ 
a  place.     The  place  adds  nothing  to  this  title,  nor ; 
is  one  gathering  of  its  members  superior  or  inferior  i 
in  privilege  or  responsibility  to  any  other.  ^ 

It  is  true  that  the  Church  of  God   is  not  only, 
designated  as  the  body  of  Christ  in  Scripture,  but 
also  as  the  House  of  God — the  place  of  His  abode.- 
But  here,  again,  it  is  the  Church  at  large  that  is  so. .   A^' 
There  are  not  bodies  of  Christ,  but  **one  body."; 
Just   so   there   are   not   houses   of  God,   but  ''the 
house."    In  each  place,  the  local  assembly  represents . 
the  Church  at  large,  as  being  indeed  the  local  Church,  ] 
— what  of  the  Church  at  large  is  in  that  place.    And 


34  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

this  may  vary,  from  time  to  time,  in  numbers,  spir- 
ituality, and  many  other  ways :  and  thus  there  will 
be  peculiar  local  responsibilities,  differences,  and 
privileges,  as  is  recognized  in  the  chapters  before 
us ;  but  the  standing  in  each  the  same. 

No  doubt  we  must  not  forget,  as  indeed  we  are 
not  allowed  to  forget,  the  immense  difference  be- 
tween profession  and  reality.  A  dead  Sardis  could 
not  be  in  reality  of  the  body  of  Christ  at  all.  But 
this  is  nevertheless  what  the  Church  means,  if  it 
means  any  thing  according  to  Scripture.  The 
professing  church  is  this,  or  it  is  a  lie;  and  how 
solemn  a  lie! 

No,  the  reason  why  Ephesus  stands  at  the  head 
of  those  addressed  here  is  of  another  nature.  It  is 
to  be  found,  not  in  any  external  supremacy  over 
the  rest,  but  in  its  original  spiritual  eminency,  and 
as  the  church  to  which  the  truth  as  to  the  Church 
had  been  first  of  all  committed,  and  this,  not  as  to 
its  order  upon  earth,  but  as  to  its  heavenly  character. 

The  Ephesians  had  been  addressed  by  Paul,  as 
now  at  a  much  later  date  they  are  by  the  Lord 
Himself;  and  it  is  in  comparing  the  tenor  of  these 
two  epistles  that  we  find  the  significance  of  its  be- 
ing Ephesus,  and  no  other,  with  which  we  here 
begin.  The  epistle  to  the  Ephesians  is  that  which 
carries  us  up  to  the  height  of  Christian  position, 
quickened  out  of  death  in  trespasses  and  sins  as 
following  the  course  of  a  world  governed  by  Satan, 
— and  quickened  with  Christ,  raised  up  together, 
and  seated  together  in  heavenly  places  in  Christ 
Jesus.  This  is  individual,  true  of  all  believers,  if 
there  were  no  Church  at  all;  but  God  has  done 
more,  and  as  united  to  Christ  by  His  Spirit,  we  are 
members  of  His  body,  the  fullness  of  Him  who 


EPHESUS.  35 

filleth  all  in  all.  Both  as  body  of  Christ  and  habit- 
ation of  God,  the  apostle  develops  the  doctrine  of 
the  Church  in  this  epistle;  while  in  the  fifth  chap- 
ter he  carries  us  back  to  the  beginning,  and  shows 
us  once  more  the  Church  under  the  type  of  Eve, 
espoused  to  Him  who  will  yet  present  her  to 
Himself  a  glorious  Church. 

These  are  the  truths,  given  to  all  saints,  no  doubt, 
but  of  which  the  Ephesian  disciples  were  counted 
worthy  to  be  the  first  recipients.  And  the  apostle 
could  write  to  them  in  this  way  as  "  faithful "  ones, 
communicating  what  the  spiritual  state  at  Corinth 
or  Galatia  or  among  the  Hebrews  would  have 
hindered  his  making  known  to  them  (i  Cor.  iii.  1,2; 
Heb.  v.  1 1-14).  If  Corinth  headed  a  list  of  churches 
declined  from  first  love,  we  should  not  marvel; 
but  can  we  fail  to  realize  the  significance  of  its  be- 
ing Ephesus,  the  special  custodian  of  the  truth  of 
the  Church  itself,  in  its  heavenly  reality  ? 

The  style  of  the  address  is,  at  the  very  outset,  a 
sign  of  distance,  as  unusual  as  full  of  significance 
on  the  part  of  the  Lord  toward  His  people.  There 
can  be  no  proper  question  that  the  churches  are 
themselves  addressed,  for  this  is  directly  stated  at 
the  conclusion  of  each  epistle:  *' He  that  hath  an 
ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the 
churches."  Yet  the  Lord's  words  are,  ''To  the 
angel  of  the  church  "  in  each  case,  and  to  this  the 
style  of  the  address  fully  corresponds.  The  re- 
sponsibility of  every  thing  that  is  wrong  is  ascribed 
to  the  angel ;  it  is  he  that  has  them  that  hold  the 
doctrine  of  Balaam,  or  of  the  Nicolaitanes ;  it  is  he 
that  suffers  the  woman  Jezebel ;  it  is  he  who  is 
threatened  with  the  removal  of  his  candlestick.  It 
is   quite   plain   that  he  represents  the  church   in 


36  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

Some  way,  and  it  is  urged  that  the  word  "angel" 

has  this  force  of  a  representative  wherever  it  does 

not  stand  for  the  heavenly  beings  so  called,  who 

though  higher  naturally  in  the  scale  of  creation, 

yet  minister  to  the  heirs  of  salvation. 

^^      ^     The  word  "angel"  means,  as  every  one  knows, 

1**^'        simply  "messenger,"  and  is  applied  to  the  spirits  of 

'  heaven  as  God's  messengers  to  men.    But  it  is  plain 

that  the  messenger  does   represent,  so  far  as  his 

errand  is  concerned,  the  one  who  sends  him.    "  He 

that  receiveth  whomsoever  I  send  receiveth  Me; 

and  he  that  receiveth  Me  receiveth  Him  that  sent 

Me."      Thus  this  meaning  of  the   word  is  easily 

*  derived  from  its  original  one. 

However,   the   representative  character  of   the 
angel  here  is  plain.     It  is  natural  enough  that  the 
advocates  of  episcopal  or  presbyterian  order  should 
find,  as  they  do  with  equal  facility,  the  bishop  or 
,  the  pastor  in  this  representative-angel.     In  Scrip- 
ture elsewhere  it  is  impossible  to  find  either  of 
y        these  things,  largely  as  they  are  now  believed  in, 
^         and  therefore  as  impossible,  if  we  cleave  to  Scrip- 
^ture,  to  read  them  in  here.     Apostles,  prophets, 
evangelists,  pastors,  and  teachers  we  read  of  as  gifts 
to   the  Church    at   large,  though    a    Peter   might 
especially  address  himself  to  the  circumcision  as  a 
^lJ«Paul  to  the  Gentiles.      But  where   have  we  the 
f  "^    I  apostle  of  this  place  or  that?  Just  as  little  have  we 
\£^  I  the  pastor  of  this  church  or  of  that.     Bishops  and 
^  j  deacons,  it  is  true,  we  do  find  with  a  local  office ; 

I  still,  never  the  bishop  of  an  assembly,  but  the  bish- 
ops; with  whom  it  is  allowed  that  the  elders  were 
identical.*  "  They  ordained  them  elders  in  every 
church"   (Acts  xiv.  23).      The   one   representative 

/      *  Acts  XX.  17, 28  ("  overseers,"  the  same  word  as  "  bishops  ") ;  Tit.  i.  5, 7. 


EPHESUS.  37 

of  each  assembly  supposed  to  be  signified  by  the 
angel  cannot  be  found  in  Scripture  elsewhere. 

Ephesus  had  its  bishop-elders  long  before  this,  as 
we  see  in  Acts  xx.  Its  diocesan  bishop  at  the  time 
when  this  was  written  tradition  makes  the  apostle 
John  himself!  He,  then,  cannot  be  the  angel  to 
whom  he  is  told  to  write,  nor  will  the  search  be 
more  successful  in  other  directions.  All  that  can  be 
truly  urged  is  that  this  address  to  the  angel  is  in 
accord  with  what  we  know  to  have  been  the  state  of 
things  a  century  or  so  after  the  time  of  Revelation. 
And  this  is  quite  in  accord  with  its  sad  significance. 

We  have  epistles  to  individuals,  as  to  Timothy 
and  Titus,  never  to  the  church  tJirougJi  these.  We 
have  the  epistle  to  the  saints  in  Christ  at  Philippi, 
with  the  bishops  and  deacons,  not  to  the  bishops 
and  deacons  for  the  church.  The  constant  method 
of  address  is  to  the  church  as  such ;  and  suppose 
here  the  "  angel "  were  to  stand  for  the  bishops  of 
Ephesus,  how  evident  would  it  make  the  contrast 
between  the  first  epistle  (perhaps  of  thirty-odd 
years  back,)  and  this  second  one ! 

No  more  the  direct  address  of  familiar  intimacy, 
though  now  from  the  very  lips  of  the  priestly  Me- 
diator. Yet  His  love  has  not  changed ;  the  change, 
then,  has  been  in  His  people.  The  strange  style  is 
from  One  whom  they  have  treated  as  a  stranger. 
Sadly  it  tells  of  the  close  of  the  old  intercourse 
which  he  who  seeks  will  find  as  invited  to,  if  it 
were  Laodicea,  "  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  will 
sup  with  him,  and  he  with  Me."  Turn  to  the  Acts, 
and  see  how  free,  how  tender,  how  as  a  thing  of 
course — which  deepens,  not  lessens,  the  wonder  of 
it, — this  intercourse  can  be.  Or  look  back  even  to 
Genesis,  if  you  will,  and  learn  how  truly  God's  last 


38  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

thought  is  His  first  thought.  It  is  man  who  has 
driven  back  these  approaches  upon  God's  part,  and 
forced  Him  into  the  cloud  and  darkness.  The 
Church  has  but  repeated  the  old  history,  though 
now,  because  the  Light  has  come,  the  darkness  is 
more  strange  and  terrible. 

But  it  is  important  to  ask.  Has  He  for  our  sins, 
then,  given  up  His  Church  to  this?  and  does  the 
''angel"  speak  of  distance  maintained  on  His  part 
toward  even  one,  the  least  of  all  His  saints?  With 
whom,  as  with  the  angel,  does  He  still  speak  face 
to  face  ?  Is  it  with  an  official  class  who  interpret 
.Him  to  those  beneath  them?  Does  the  sun,  as  in 
winter-time,  no  longer  reach  the  valley-bottoms, 
but  only  gild  the  tops  of  the  hills  with  light?  or  is 
it  to  some  gifted  men  that  Christ  reveals  Himself, 
who,  as  planets,  shed  the  little  of  His  radiance  they 
can  reflect  on  others?  Ah,  no;  it  is  not  men  of 
gift,  still  less  an  official  class,  who  are  indicated  by 
the  angel.  The  heart  of  those  who  know  their  Lord 
shall  answer.  It  is  not.  No;  nor,  alas!  is  it  any 
longer  the  church  as  a  whole  either ;  very  far  from 
that!  Read  the  superscription  "to  the  angel"  in 
the  light  of  the  subscription,  '■''He  that  hath  an  ear^ 
let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the 
churches,"  and  you  will  find  that  still  the  question 
of  who  are  nearest  Christ  is  answered  by  another, 
who  has  ears  and  eyes  and  heart  for  Him.  He 
still  speaks  as  of  old  to  those  who  as  of  old  Hsten. 
His  ways.  His  attitude,  His  heart,  can  know  no 
change.  The  stars  that  shine  in  His  firmament  are 
the  overcomers  of  the  darkness,  not  of  the  world 
now  merely,  but  of  the  church, — planets  that  know 
their  orbit  and  are  held  by  their  centre,  and  shine 
by  the  light  of  Him  who  shines  on  them.     ''The 


EPHESUS.  39 

seven  stars  are  the  angels  of  the  seven  churches." 
If  to  the  opened  ear  Christ  speaks,  it  is  plain  that 
the  responsibility  of  hearing  is  as  much  as  ever  that 
of  all.  None  are  released  from  it.  And  yet  it  is 
not  to  the  mass  that  He  can  speak  any  more,  or 
the  overcoming  would  not  be  in  the  church,  as  it 
clearly  is.  Already  it  is  the  few  that  listen,  and  the 
constraint  in  the  Lord's  manner  is  but  the  indica- 
tion of  His  sense  of  this. 

It  may  seem  strange,  however,  that  if  the  "angel" 
stands  for  these  who  listen  to  Christ's  voice,  He 
should  hold  them  responsible,  as  we  have  already 
seen,  for  all  the  evil  in  the  church  with  which  they 
are  connected.  How,  it  may  be  asked,  can  He 
thus  burden  with  the  sins  of  the  whole  the  few  who 
have  an  ear  to  hear?  The  responsibility  of  an  offi- 
cial class  is  more  readily  recognized  than  of  those 
who  may  be,  however  spiritual,  the  feeblest  possi- 
ble to  accomplish  any  change  in  the  condition  of 
things  around  them.  But  this  is  not  the  question. 
It  is  true  we  are  poAverless  to  alter  the  general 
state.  The  ebb-tide  of  ruin  can  be  stemmed  by  no 
hand  of  ours,  and  this  feebleness  of  ours  may  seem 
an  available  plea  to  withdraw  us  from  responsi- 
bility as  to  it.  But  not  so  teaches  the  word  of  the 
Lord.  Our  associations  are  here  distinctly  recog- 
nized as  part  of  our  general  condition.  We  are  to 
"depart  from  evil,"  not  be  unequally  yoked  with 
unbelievers,  purge  ourselves  from  vessels  to  dis- 
honor, and  follow  righteousness,  faith,  love,  peace, 
witJi  those  that  call  upon  the  Lord  out  of  a  pure 
heart.  For  association  with  evil  we  are  therefore 
ever  responsible.  It  may  be  said  that  such  princi- 
ples, carried  fully  out,  would  involve  a  very  narrow 
path  and  a  wholesale  giving  up  of  spheres  of  use- 


40  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

fulness.  But  be  it  so  or  be  it  not  &o,  it  is  not  ours 
to  choose.  Our  path  is  defined  for  us.  **  To  obey  is 
better  than  sacrifice,  and  to  hearken  than  the  fat  of 
rams ;  for  rebellion  is  as  the  sin  of  witchcraft,  and 
stubbornness  as  iniquity  and  idolatry." 

Yes,  "rebellion"!  How  gladly  would  we  call  an 
obedience  Hmited  by  our  own  wills  by  some  lighter 
name  than  that !  Yet  what  else,  in  truth,  was  that 
which  brought  out  Saul's  true  character,  and  lost 
the  kingdom  to  him  and  to  his  seed  forever?  What 
he  left  undone  was  a  mere  trifle  to  what  he  did. 
And  the  sheep  and  oxen  had  been  spared  to  sacri- 
fice to  the  Lord.  What  fairer  excuse  have  people 
now  to  offer  for  much  disobedience — evil  plausibly 
intended  to  bring  forth  good  ?  And  how  hard  is  it 
to  understand  that  while  we  may  obey  in  much 
that  in  fact  costs  us  little,  the  true  test  of  obedience 
is  just  in  that  in  which  we  are  called  to  renounce 
our  wills  and  our  wisdom,  perhaps  to  forfeit  the 
esteem  and  companionship  of  others,  by  doing 
what  has  only  the  Word  of  God  to  justify  it  and 
must  wait  for  eternity  to  find  right  appreciation! 

But  now  to  listen  to  His  word  to  Ephesus,  who 
"  holdeth  the  stars  in  His  right  hand,  and  walketh 
in  the  midst  of  the  seven  golden  candlesticks." 
The  one  point  of  the  address  is  plain,  and  it  is  left 
to  stand  in  sufficient,  solemn,  decisive  contrast  with 
all  else  that  is  unmingled  commendation.  Works, 
labor,  patience,  abhorrence  of  that  which  is  evil, 
trying  fearlessly  those  who  put  forth  the  highest 
claims,  bearing  for  Christ's  name's  sake,  and  not 
fainting, — all  this,  put  in  the  balance  with  one 
solemn  charge:  ''Thou  hast  left  thy  first  love." 
And  this  follows:  "Repent,  and  do  the  first  works, 
or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee,  and  will  remove  thy 


EPHESUS.  41 

candlestick  out  of  its  place,  except  thou  repent." 

Let  us  look  at  these  things  more  closely.  Their 
interest  for  us  is  of  the  deepest,  for  upon  this  one 
root  of  evil  has  grown  all  that  has  ever  been  in  the 
Church's  long  decline  through  the  centuries  which 
have  intervened  between  that  day  and  this.  And 
this  it  is  which,  as  we  see,  brings  about  her  removal 
from  the  place  of  witness  for  Christ  on  earth.  This 
it  is  too  which  is  the  secret  of  decline  in  every  in- 
dividual Christian.  For  us  all,  it  should  rouse  the 
earnest,  heart-searching  inquiry,  "  Is  it  I  ?  "  For, 
if  it  can  be  truly  said  of  any  of  us,  "  Thou  hast  left 
thy  first  love,"  it  is  vain  for  us  to  think  that  other 
things  can  be  really  judged.  The  single  eye  is 
wanted  even  to  see  them  with.  We  must  get  back 
to  this,  or  there  is  no  real  recovery.  Two  masters, 
the  Lord  says  Himself,  we  cannot  serve. 

How  much  there  was  He  could  commend  at 
Ephesus!  ''I  know  thy  works"  is  commendation 
clearly.  But  not  only  had  they  works,  they  labored. 
Do  you  think  there  are  really  so  many  of  whom  it 
could  be  said,  they  labor?  We  have  recognized, 
what  is  so  precious  to  understand,  that  we  have 
our  different  spheres  of  service,  and  that  there  is 
no  mere  secular  work,  if  really  done  for  Christ. 
But  to  labor  is  to  work  with  energy — to  "  toil,"  as  the 
Revision  gives  it.    How  many  of  us  toil  for  Christ  ? 

Then  they  had  patience — endurance.  Many 
begin  well,  like  the  Galatians,  but  in  the  face  of 
unforeseen  difficulties  give  way.  It  is  the  mark 
of  divine  work  that  it  endures.  Human  energy 
quickly  spends  itself:  faith  draws  upon  a  stock  that 
never  decreases.  It  was  true  faith  that  wrought 
in  these  Ephesian  saints. 

Patience,  too,  is  apt  to  degenerate  into  a  tolera- 


42  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

tion,  more  or  less,  of  evil.  Finding  it  on  every 
hand,  and  no  where  perfection,  the  very  contact 
with  it  is  apt  to  dull  the  spiritual  sense.  Charity 
would  fain  put  also  the  mildest  construction  upon 
every  thing.  We  are  bidden  to  "  take  forth  the 
precious  from  the  vile,"  but  we  learn  to  tolerate 
the  vile  because  of  the  precious.  We  become 
liberal  where  we  have  no  right.  The  Lord  praises 
the  Ephesians  for  the  opposite  conduct:  "Thou 
canst  not  bear  them  which  are  evil."  And  where 
there  was  the  very  highest  assumption,  they  did  not 
fear  to  test  it :  "Thou  hast  tried  them  which  say  they 
are  apostles,  and  are  not,  and  hast  found  them  liars." 

But  more,  it  was  true  love  to  Christ  which 
wrought  in  all  this:  "Thou  hast  patience,  and  hast 
borne  for  My  name's  sake,  and  hast  not  wearied." 
Yet  here  it  follows :  "  Nevertheless  I  have  against 
thee," — not "  somewhat,"  as  if  it  were  a  little, — "  that 
thou  hast  left  \\\y  first  love." 

But  how  dreadful  a  dishonor  to  Christ  is  this,  to 
lose  one's  first  love !  It  is  as  if  at  first  sight  He  was 
more  than  He  proved  on  longer  acquaintance !  Is 
not  here  the  very  germ  of  final  apostasy  ?  I  do  not, 
of  course,  mean  that  the  Lord  will  allow  any  of  His 
redeemed  to  be  lost  out  of  His  hand.  ''God  is  faith- 
ful, who  hath  called  us  into  the  fellowship  of  His 
Son  Jesus  Christ;"  and  this  faithfulness  of  God  is 
our  security:  "the  gifts  and  caUing  of  God  are 
without  repentance."  Nor  only  so;  if  we  are  born 
of  God,  we  have  that  within  us  which  cannot  suffer 
us  to  become  what  we  were  before:  "Whosoever 
is  born  of  God  doth  not  commit  sin ;  for  his  seed 
rcmaineth  in  him :  and  he  cannot  sin,  because  he  is 
born  of  God."  Yet  while  this  is  true  on  the  one 
side,  in  the  child  of  God  as  identified  with  the  divine 


EPHESUS.  43 

nature  by  which  he  is  such, — still,  on  the  other  side, 
it  is  no  less  true  that  in  the  believer  also  there  re- 
mains yet  the  old  nature.  In  him  still  there  is  that 
which  lusts  against  the  Spirit,  and  only  if  ye  "  walk 
in  the  Spirit,  ye  shall  not  fulfill  the  lust  of  the 
fiesh." 

Here  is  what  makes  the  world  to  us  such  a  battle- 
field. Capable,  on  the  one  hand,  of  enjoying  all  the 
joys  of  heaven ;  capable,  on  the  other,  of  being  at- 
tracted by  that  which  lies  under  the  power  of  the 
wicked  one, — the  eye  affecting  the  heart, — day  by 
day  we  are  solicited  by  that  which  daily  lies  before 
us  and  from  which  there  is  no  escape.  Our  danger 
here  is  first  of  all  distraction,  some  gain  to  us  which 
is  not  loss  for  Christ,  or  that  dulling  of  the  spiritual 
sense  we  just  now  spoke  of;  the  dust  of  the  way 
settles  upon  the  glass  in  which  Faith  sees  her  eter- 
nal possessions.  Our  remedy  is  the  presence  of 
Him  who  with  basin  and  towel  would  refresh  His 
pilgrims,  cleansing  away  the  travel-stains  that  they 
may  have  part  with  Him. 

Here  alone  first  love  is  maintained.  Here,  in 
His  presence,  we  learn  His  mind.  The  holiness  of 
truth  is  accomplished  in  us.  What  is  unseen  but 
eternal  asserts  its  power.  The  illusions  of  the 
prince  of  this  world  pass  from  us.  The  glory  of 
Christ  is  revealed,  and  the  eye  here  also  affects  the 
heart;  He  becomes  for  us  more  and  more  the  light 
in  which  we  see  light,  the  Sun  which  rules  the  day, 
not  only  enlightening  but  Hfe-giving:  the  light  in 
which  we  walk  is  the  "  light  of  life." 

Now  here,  as  I  have  said,  first  love  cannot  but  be 
maintained.  Who  could  be  daily  in  His  presence, 
ministered  to  by  Him,  having  part  with  Him,  and 
yet  grow  cool  in  response  to  His  love?     It  is  im- 


44  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

possible.  Where  this  is  the  case,  intimacy  has  not 
been  kept  up.  We  have  not  permitted  the  basin 
and  towel  to  do  its  work.  Assurance  of  heart  be- 
fore Him  has  been  replaced  by  an  uneasy  sense  of 
unfitness  for  His  presence,  the  true  causes  of  which 
we  have  not  been  willing  fully  to  face,  and  for 
which  the  remedy  has  therefore  not  been  found. 

In  this  state  there  may  be  yet  much  work  and 
labor  and  zeal,  and  true  love  at  the  bottom.  Fruit 
may  be  on  the  tree,  plentiful  as  ever,  but  not  to  the 
Master's  taste  as  once,  not  ripened  in  the  Sun. 
Form  and  bloom  and  beauty  may  be  little  lacking: 
this  was  the  state  at  Ephesus.  But  the  Lord  says, 
"Repent,  and  do  \}\q  first  works." 

What  is  the  test,  then,  of  "first  love"?  Not 
"  work" — activity  in  outward  service ;  this  they  had 
at  Ephesus  :  not  even  "  labor,"  for  this  too  they  had  : 
no,  nor  yet  "endurance" — though  a  more  manifest 
sign  than  either  of  divine  power  in  the  soul.  Not 
zeal  against  evil,  nor  boldness  to  examine  and  refuse 
the  highest  pretensions;  not  suffering  even  for 
Christ's  name,  and  that  unwearied.  All  this  is  good 
and  acceptable  to  God,  and  the  Ephesians  had  it  all, 
and  yet  says  the  Lord,  "  I  have  against  thee  that 
thou  hast  left  thy  first  love." 

What,  then,  is  the  test  of  first  love?  It  is  in  the 
complete  satisfaction  of  the  heart  by  its  object.  You 
know  what  power  often  there  is  in  a  new  thing  to 
take  possession  of  one  for  the  time  being.  And  in 
first  love,  it  is  characteristic  that  it  engrosses  the 
subject  of  it.  The  Lord  claims  again  and  again  the 
power  to  give  this  complete  satisfaction  of  heart  to 
His  people.  "  He  that  drinketh  of  this  water  shall 
thirst  again :  but  he  that  drinketh  of  the  water  that 
I  shall  give  him  shall  never  thirst;    but  the  water 


EPHESUS.  45 

that  I  shall  give  him  shall  be  in  him  a  fountain  of 
water  springing  up  unto  eternal  life."  "  He  that 
Cometh  unto  Me  shall  never  hunger,  and  he  that 
believeth  on  Me  shall  never  thirst."  "  If  any  man 
thirst,  let  him  come  unto  Me,  and  drink.  He  that 
believeth  on  Me,  as  the  Scripture  hath  said,  out  of 
his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living  water." 

Now  this  it  is  that  will  give  a  peculiar  character 
to  the  life  which  nothing  else  will.  It  is  of  this  the 
apostle  speaks  when  he  says,  *'The  life  which  I  now 
live  in  the  flesh  I  live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God, 
who  loved  me,  and  gave  Himself  for  me."  It  is 
this  satisfaction  with  a  heavenly  object  of  which  he 
is  giving  the  effect  when  he  says,  '*  This  one  thing 
I  do:  forgetting  the  things  which  are  behind,  and 
reaching  forth  unto  that  which  is  before,  I  press 
toward  the  mark  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling 
of  God  in  Christ  Jesus."  ''  What  things  were  gain 
to  me,  those  I  counted  loss  for  Christ.  Yea,  doubt- 
less, and  I  count  all  things  but  loss  for  the  excel- 
lency of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  my  Lord ; 
for  whom  I  have  suffered  the  loss  of  all  things,  and 
do  count  them  but  dung,  that  I  may  win  Christ." 

This  is  the  secret  of  happiness,  who  can  doubt? 
That  for  which  he  counted  all  else  dung  and  loss  must 
have  given  him  surpassing,  supreme  happiness.  And 
happiness  such  as  this,  derived  from  nothing  in  the 
world,  is  power  over  the  world.  The  back  is  upon 
it.  The  prize  is  elsewhere.  The  steps  hasten  upon  a 
path  that  glows  with  the  light  of  heaven.  Holiness 
is  found,  as  it  only  can  be  found,  in  heavenliness. 

Such  was  the  apostle,  and  Christianity  is  nothing 
else  to-day.  Blessed  be  God,  it  is  not  something 
either  to  be  found  far  on  in  the  Christian  course, 
but  at  the  beginning.     It  is  Jirst  love  which  has 


46  PRESENT  THINGS,  ETC. 

th&se  characteristics.  In  Christ  Himself,  at  once 
for  present  need,  all  fullness  is  found,  as  His  own 
words  declare.  *'  He  that  cometh  to  Me  shall  never 
hunger,  and  he  that  believeth  on  Me  shall  never 
thirst."  It  is  in  drinking  of  other  streams  that  the 
old  thirst  comes  back  upon  him  who  does  so.  "  The 
lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eyes,  and  the  pride 
of  life"  are  "all  that  is  of  the  world."  He  that 
drinketh  of  this  water  shall  thirst  again.  So  the 
world  holds  its  own  by  their  very  misery. 

But  we  are  not  speaking  of  the  men  of  the  world. 
It  is  to  Ephesus — to  the  saints  there — the  Lord  is 
speaking:  to  those  to  Avhom  the  heavenly  truth 
had  been  unvailed,  the  depositaries  of  it  upon  the 
earth,  the  representatives  of  the  Church  at  large. 
And  it  is  to  the  Church  at  large,  through  Ephesus, 
that  this  is  now  addressed.  Can  any  doubt  the 
truth  of  such  an  application?  Would  that  it  were 
even  possible!  but  we  have  not  to  go  beyond  the 
New  Testament  itself  to  find  the  application  con- 
firmed, and  to  hear  the  prophetic  announcement  of 
still  further  departure  even  to  the  very  end.  The 
epistles  of  Paul,  long  before  Revelation,  reveal  a 
state  of  things  already  beginning,  such  as  it  is  hard 
to  realize  of  those  early  days.  In  one  of  the  very 
earliest  comes  the  statement,  "  The  mystery  of 
iniquity  doth  already  work,"  and  "that  day" — the 
day  of  the  Lord — "shall  not  come,  except  there 
I  come  a  falling  away  first."  The  two  epistles  to  the 
'  Corinthians  are  the  next  in  time  to  those  to  the 
Thessalonians,  and  at  Corinth  there  is  sin  such  as 
was  not  named  among  the  Gentiles,  with  divisions 
beginning,  and  some  denying  the  resurrection  of 
the  dead.  Next,  Galatia  is  backsliding  from  Christ 
under  the  law,  and  receiving  another  gospel.   Then, 


EPHESUS.  47 

to  the  Romans  he  has  to  write,  bidding  them  avoid 
those  who  cause  divisions  and  offenses,  contrary  to 
the  doctrine  they  have  learned.  His  next  epistles 
are  written  from  a  Roman  prison:  but  here  he  has 
to  say  of  those  to  whom  he  had  written  that  their 
faith  was  spoken  of  through  the  whole  world,  "All 
seek  their  own,  not  the  things  of  Jesus  Christ." 
The  epistles  to  Timothy  may  close  the  sorrowful 
picture :  "At  my  first  answer  no  man  stood  with 
me,  but  all  forsook  me: " — Paul  ends  his  course  like 
His  Master.  Not  alone  at  Rome:  "This  thou 
knowest,  that  all  they  which  are  in  Asia  have  de- 
parted from  me."  But  now  all  that  will  be  vessels 
of  honor,  fit  for  the  Master's  use,  are  to  purge 
themselves  from  the  vessels  to  dishonor.  Evil 
men  and  seducers  shall  wax  worse  and  worse; 
and  in  the  last  days  perilous  times  shall  come, 
men  throwing  the  Christian  dress  over  their  un- 
changed natures,  having  the  form  of  godliness 
but  denying  the  power  thereof.  From  such  they 
must  turn  away. 

Peter,  John,  Jude,  add  each  some  fresh  feature  to 
the  terrible  picture ;  but  we  need  not  dwell  upon  it 
more.  We  see  the  professing  church  is  ruined  and 
doomed.  The  true-hearted  are  already  a  remnant. 
By  the  "  many  antichrists  "  then  present,  the  latest 
apostle  decides  that  it  is  the  last  time.  We  look 
beyond  even  the  Ephesian  epistle  here  to  see  the 
hopelessness  of  the  thought  of  any  general  repent- 
ance. And  the  word  abides,  "  I  will  take  away  thy 
candlestick  out  of  its  place,  except  thou  repent." 

The  promise  to  the  overcomer  meanwhile  rings 
out  its  words  of  cheer,  "  To  him  that  overcometh 
will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life  which  is  in  the 
midst  of  the  paradise  of  My  God."    There  is  to  be 


48  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

no  yielding-,  however  the  difficulties  of  the  way 
increase.  God's  stars  shine  by  night  as  by  day, 
and  the  darkness  only  makes  them  more  apparent. 
It  is  no  new  thing,  the  darkness.  The  path  of  faith 
has  been  in  all  ages  essentially  alike.  The  incentive 
comes  from  beyond,  and  no  sorrows  of  the  way 
can  mar  the  beauty  of  the  paradise  of  God. 

The  tree  of  life  in  the  garden  of  old  meant  clearly 
dependent  life,  which  was  to  be  ministered  to  Adam 
by  its  means.  In  himself,  innocent  as  he  was,  there 
was  no  continuance  apart  from  this.  God  would 
thus  remind  him  of  the  essential  mutability  and 
dependence  of  the  creature — a  safe  and  whole- 
some lesson. 

For  us  too,  redeemed  by  the  precious  blood  of 
Christ,  and  possessors  of  eternal  life,  this  is  still  Hfe 
in  dependence;  and  herein  is  the  secret  of  its  eter- 
nity. It  is  life  in  Christ,  in  the  Son  who  is  alone 
essential  Life.  Of  the  fruits  of  this  we  shall  partake 
forever.  How  suited  an  appeal  to  those  in  the  state 
addressed  in  this  epistle!  It  is  failure  in  maintain- 
ing the  place  of  dependence,  in  receiving  out  of 
His  fullness  in  whom  dwells  all  the  fullness  of  the 
Godhead  bodily,  that  is  the  very  secret  of  their 
condition.  The  mind,  the  will,  the  heart,  are  in 
independence.  He  who  keeps  close  to  Christ  over- 
comes. How  suited,  then,  the  encouragement  to 
one  who  knows  already  the  blessedness  of  this 
place,  to  look  on  to  the  time  when  in  far  other  cir- 
cumstances the  full  results  of  it  shall  be  attained, — 
when  eternally  it  will  be  ours  to  know  the  joy  of 
that  dependence  which  secures  His  ministry  of  love 
to  us  forever!  "For  of  Him,  and  through  Him, 
and  to  Him,  are  all  things;  to  whom  be  glory 
forever.     Amen." 


SMYRNA.  49 

Smyrna:   the  Double  Assault  of  the  Enemy. 

(Rev.  ii.  8-11.) 

The  decline  of  the  Church  opens  the  way  for 
the  power  of  the  enemy  to  display  itself;  and 
the  assault  is  a  double  one — from  without  and 
within  at  the  same  moment.  The  result  is,  how- 
ever, very  different  in  the  two  cases.  The  outside 
assault  is  failure,  for  it  is  impossible  that  the  Lord 
should  leave  His  saints  to  be  subdued  by  power 
beyond  their  own ;  while  the  defeat  of  Satan's  wiles 
is  another  matter.  Here  they  must  put  on  the 
whole  armor  of  God,  that  they  may  be  able  to 
stand  in  the  evil  day.  We  shall  be  able  from  this 
point  to  trace  an  instructive  correspondence  be- 
tween the  history  of  the  kingdom  as  developed  in 
the  first  four  parables  of  the  thirteenth  of  Matthew 
and  that  of  the  Church  in  the  first  four  addresses 
here.  There  also  the  failure  (or  partial  success)  of 
the  good  seed  is  the  first  fact  insisted  on,  and  then 
follows  the  inroad  of  the  enemy.  The  two  are  put 
in  connection  by  the  words,  ''  While  men  slept,  the 
enemy  came  and  sowed  tares  among  the  wheat." 

Here,  as  not  in  the  parable,  the  open  assault  is 
connected  with  the  secret  and  inward  one,  and  we 
shall  see,  if  the  Lord  permit,  that  the  two  are  really 
parts  of  one  whole,  the  one  favoring  the  other.  The 
roar  of  the  lion  is  well  calculated  to  frighten  souls 
into'the  secret  snare ;  and  in  this  regard  we  could 
not  say  that  it  had  no  success.  God,  on  the  other 
hand,  suffers  it  to  alarm  His  people  into  their  place 
of  refuge;  and  with  true  souls  this  would  be  its 
effect.  The  test  is  permitted  to  manifest  the  con- 
dition of  things,  and  it  is  His  way  to  allow  such 
tests  ever,  as  in  all  dispensations  we  shall  find  to  be 


50  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

the  case.    Alas,  for  the  invariable  result  as  to  man ! 
but  He  will  be  glorified  through  all. 

Let  us  look  briefly  first  at  the  open  attack  which, 

as  it  makes  a  figure  in  ecclesiastical  history,  gives 

us  a  date  to  attach  to  the  period  before  us.     Even 

those  who  do  not  see  the  historical  application  of 

these  addresses  generally  admit  a  reference  in  the 

"tribulation  ten  days"  to  ten  persecutions  under 

the   Roman  emperors.     That  there  were  just  so 

many  can  hardly  be  made  out,  and  the  expression 

need  not  be  pressed  so  literally.     It  is  quite  plain, 

'  nevertheless,  how  the  address  to  Smyrna  suits  this 

period,  which  lasted  from  Domitian's  persecution 

•  now  begun,  right  on  to  Constantine, — that  is,  for 

;  over  two  centuries.      This  was  undoubtedly  the 

:  martyr-age  of  the  Church  as  a  whole,  although  the 

'  persecution  may  have  been  more  bitter  locally  in 

other  periods.     The  power  of  Rome,  absolute  as  it 

was    throughout    her   wide-spread    empire,    when 

wielded  against  Christianity,  left  little  room  for 

escape  any  where,  while  as  a  heathen  power  it  was 

antagonistic  to  all  that  professed  the  name.     The 

address   to   Smyrna,  therefore,   comes   exactly  in 

place  here ;  and  the  very  name — "  myrrh," — used,  as 

this  was,  in  the  embalming  of  the  dead,  reminds  us 

of  how  '*  precious  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  is  the 

death  of  His  saints." 

Indeed  this  is  manifest  all  through  the  address. 
It  is  as  ''the  First  and  the  Last,  who"  yet  "was 
dead,  and  is  alive,"  that  He  speaks  to  them.  In 
the  voice  of  One  who  though  divine  stooped  down 
to  death  and  is  come  out  of  it,  and  who  gives  them 
thus  only  to  drink  of  the  cup  of  which  He  has  drunk, 
and  to  be  baptized  with  the  baptism  wherewith  He 
has  been  baptized.    How  fully  can  He  say,  "  I  know 


SMYRNA.  5 1 

thy  tribulation"!  and  how  sweet  the  commenda- 
tion, "  I  know  thy  poverty,  but  thou  art  rich''' !  Yea, 
"blessed  are  ye  when  men  shall  revile  you  and 
persecute  you,  and  say  all  manner  of  evil  against 
you  falsely  for  My  sake :  rejoice,  and  be  exceeding 
glad." 

The  times  are  so  changed,  we  look  back  with  a 
shudder  to  the  sufferings  endured  at  these  times, 
unable,  as  it  would  seem,  to  comprehend  the  bless- 
edness of  this  link  of  sorrow  with  the  Man  of  sor- 
rows. And  yet  we  can  see,  even  through  the  lapse 
of  intervening  centuries,  how  the  "  Spirit  of  glory 
and  of  God"  jested  upon  these  sufferers.  The 
Captain  of  their  salvation  was  at  all  charges  for 
them,  and  as  the  sufferings  of  Christ  abounded  in 
them,  so  their  consolation  also  abounded  by  Christ. 
They  had  heard  His  voice  saying,  *'  Fear  not  those 
things  which  thou  shalt  suffer;  be  thou  faithful 
unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  hfe." 

Multitudes  were  thus  faithful ;  but  we  are  apt  to 
form  a  wrong  estimate  of  the  times  gilded  by  the 
glory  of  this  faithfulness.  Just  so,  in  the  address 
to  Smyrna,  the  Lord's  undisguised  and  tender 
sympathy  with  His  own  under  persecution  hides 
from  the  eyes  of  many  the  evil  which  is  pointed  out 
by  Him  as  there  in  terms  of  indignant  reprobation. 
By  most,  ''  The  blasphemy  of  those  who  say  they 
are  Jews  and  are  not"  is  supposed  to  refer  to  the 
well-known  and  constant  enmity  of  the  unbelieving 
nation  against  the  followers  of  their  rejected  Mes- 
siah. It  is  evident  that  they  are  treated  as  outside 
of  those  whom  the  Lord  is  here  addressing,  and 
that  the  "angel"  is  not,  as  elsewhere,  charged  with 
responsibility  for  their  presence.  But  so  neither 
are  the  Nicolaitanes,  or  the  followers  of  Balaam  at 


52  PRESENT  THINGS,  ETC. 

Pergamos,  or  the  woman  Jezebel  at  Thyatira,  ad- 
dressed directly  by  the  Lord,  while  no  one  doubts, 
nor  can  it  be  doubted,  that  they  formed  part  of  the 
respective  assemblies.  The  question  of  responsi- 
bility is  a  more  difficult  one,  and  we  shall  be  obliged 
to  consider  it  a  little  later. 

"Those  who  say  they  are  Jews  and  are  not" 
might  be  taken,  no  doubt,  as  parallel  to  the  apostle's 
words  that  "they  are  not  all  Israel  which  are  of 
Israel,"  and  "he  is  not  a  Jew  which  is  one  out- 
wardly." Still  it  would  not  seem  that  they  would 
so  much  need  to  profess  themselves  such,  if  they 
were  of  the  nation  really ;  nor  does  it  seem  that  so 
much  would  be  made  of  the  falseness  of  a  profession 
for  which  there  was  after  all  a  certain  justification. 
If  this,  too,  were  really  the  character  of  those  in 
question,  there  is  no  significance,  that  one  can  see, 
in  the  appearance  here  as  regards  any  divine 
judgment  of  the  churches. 

The  moment  we  realize  the  adversaries  here 
spoken  of  as  Judaizers  within  the  professing  church, 
we  find  that  we  have  in  them  as  much  the  formal 
root  of  decline  as  in  first  love  left  we  had  the  in- 
ternal principle.  The  mention  of  them  at  this  point 
becomes  a  necessity  really  for  the  perfecting  of  the 
picture  of  what  has  in  fact  taken  place.  With  the 
heart-failure  first  reproved,  it  is  the  key  to  the  con- 
dition of  things  which  is  all  around  us,  it  charac- 
terizes the  state  of  ruin  which  has  come  in.  It  is 
this  which  has  robbed  Christians  of  the  enjoyment 
of  their  place  with  God ;  it  is  this  which  has  put 
them  back  into  the  world  out  of  which  grace  had 
called  them ;  it  is  this  which  has  built  up  once  more 
a  priestly  hierarchy  as  necessary  mediators  between 
a  mixed  and  carnal  people  and  a  far-off  God.     It  is 


SMYRNA.  53 

this  which  is  indeed  the  triumph  of  the  great  ad- 
versary, although  God  be  as  ever  sovereign  above 
it;  and  no  name  could  more  fitly  designate  the 
instruments  by  which  he  has  degraded  the  Church 
of  God  into  the  synagogue  than  the  name  by  which 
the  Lord  brands  them  here — "the  synagogue  of 
Satan.'' 

The  title  precisely  indicates  the  change  accom- 
plishing.   The  Church  of  God  is  indeed  every  way 
the  precise  opposite  of  Satan's  synagogue.      The 
word    which    we   translate   ''church"  is,   as    well 
known,  properly  ''assembly," — a  title  which,  if  it     ^^j 
had  been  retained  in  our  common  version,  wouldcM''^ 
have  prevented  the  possibility  of  some  significant      c^ 
perversions.      The   assembly   could    not    be    con- 
founded,  for  instance,   with   a   material   building,-^tyj 
though  spiritually  indeed  God's  house.     Nor  could^' 
it  be  the  clergy  merely,  as  from  Romanism,  though 
by  more    than    Romanists,  it   has  been   made   to 
signify.      These  applications  of  the  term  are  but 
indications  of  the  very  change  of  which  we  are  now 
speaking.      The  assembly  of  God  in  Scripture  is 
Christ's  body,  the  fellowship  of  those  who  are  His 
members,  and  of  none  but  these.     It  is  true  that 
the  responsibility  of  this  place  may  be  assumed  by 
those  who  are  not  such,  and  so  we  find  the  assem- 
bly in  Sardis  pronounced  by  the  Lord  to  be  dead, 
arid  not  alive.     Yet  in  the  divine  thought  this  is 
what  the  assembly  is,  and  at  the  Lord's  table  every 
one  declares  this :  "  we  being  many  are  one  bread, 
one  body,  for  we  are  all  partakers  of   that   one 
bread." 

Thus  it  is  the  assembly,  or  gathering,  of  those 
who  are  Christ's  members,  called  out  by  grace  out 
of  the  world,  and  this  is  what  the  word  used  means. 


v^ 


54  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

'■'■Rcclesia  "  is  the  assembly  of  those  called  out ;  while 
^'synagogue''  means  merely  a  ''gathering  together y' 
no  matter  of  whom.  The  latter,  of  course,  was  the 
Jewish  word,  as  the  former  the  Christian;  and  they 
exactly  express  the  difference  between  the  respect- 
ive gatherings,  Christ  died,  ''not  for  the  nation 
[of  Israel]  only,  but  also  that  He  might  gather 
together  in  one  the  children  of  God  which  were 
scattered  abroad."  Outside  of  the  Jewish  fold  He 
had  sheep  to  bring  in,  and  inside  of  it  not  all  were 
His  sheep.  Judaism  did  not  unite  the  children  of 
God  as  such,  as  is  plain,  and  its  separation  was  not 
of  believers  from  the  world,  but  of  Israel  from  the 
Gentiles.  So,  consequently,  the  children  of  God 
were  not  given  their  place  with  God,  and  had  no 
Spirit  of  adoption — did  not  cry,  "Abba,  Father." 
God  was  saying,  "I  am  a  father  to  IsraeV — and 
this  which  comes  nearest  to  Christian  knowledge 
shows  in  fact  the  contrast.  Relationship  was  by 
birth,  not  new  birth,  and  did  not  mean  justification 
and  eternal  life,  as  it  means  now.  Those  who  be- 
longed to  the  family  of  God  might  perish  forever, 
and  those  outside  His  family  might  be  saved 
eternally. 

Judaism  decided  the  eternal  state  of  none.  As  a 
dispensation  of  law,  it  could  give  no  assurance,  it 
could  preach  no  justification.  For  if  the  law  says 
on  the  one  hand  "  the  man  that  doeth  these  thin'gs 
shall  live  in  them,"  it  says  also  "  there  is  none 
righteous — no,  not  one."  And  that  was  not  merely 
the  effect,  but  the  designed  effect :  "  We  know  that 
whatsoever  the  law  saith  it  saith  to  them  that  are 
under  the  law,  that  every  mouth  may  be  stopped, 
and  all  the  world  become  guilty  before  God."  It 
was  thus  ordained  for  the  probation  of  man,  a  pro- 


SMYRNA.  55 

bation  necessary  before  grace  could  be  proclaimed ; 
but  on  this  account  it  could  but  as  a  means  of 
salvation  bear  witness  to  its  own  incompetency. 
The  announcement  of  that  new  covenant  under 
which  Israel's  sins  and  iniquities  would  be  no  more 
remembered  was  such  a  witness. 

Thus,  as  the  law  could  not  justify,  it  could  not 
bring  to  God.  The  unrent  vail  is  the  characteristic 
of  Judaism  as  the  rent  vail  is  of  Christianity. 
*'Thou  canst  not  see  My  face,  for  there  shall  no 
man  see  Me  and  live"  is  the  contrasted  utterance 
to  His  who  says,  "  He  that  hath  seen  Me  hath  seen 
the  Father;"  as  is  ''  who  can  by  no  means  clear  the 
guilty"  the  opposite  declaration  to  that  of  the 
gospel,  that  we  "believe  on  Him  who  justifieth  the 
ungodly."  The  darkness  is  passed  from  the  face 
of  God,  and  the  true  light — for  God  is  light — shin- 
eth.  We  walk,  therefore,  in  the  light,  as  God  is  in 
the  light,  and  have  fellowship  one  with  another, 
and  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  His  Son  cleanseth 
from  all  sin. 

The  Judaizing  of  the  Church  means  therefore, 
first  of  all,  the  putting  God  back  (if  that  .were  pos- 
sible ;  possible  for  our  hearts  it  is)  into  the  darkness 
from  which  He  has  come  forth ;  replacing  the 
peace  which  was  made  for  us  upon  the  cross  with 
the  old  legal  conditions  and  the  old  uncertainty. 
Darker  than  the  old  darkness  this,  inasmuch  as  the 
Christ  for  whom  they  only  looked  is  come,  and 
come  but  to  put  His  seal  upon  it  all :  come,  and 
gone  back,  and  declared  little  more,  at  any  rate, 
than  was  said  before,  and  only  definitively  shut  out 
hope  of  any  further  revelation. 

Thus  in  the  Judaizing  gospel  confidence  is  pre- 
sumption. "  No  man  knoweth  whether  he  is  worthy 


56  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

of  favor  or  hatred  "  is  quoted  as  if  from  Paul  instead 
of  Solomon.  In  fact,  is  not  Ecclesiastes  scripture 
as  well  as  Romans  ?  and  will  you  make  scripture 
to  contradict  scripture?  Did  not  Christ  say,  also, 
''I  came  not  to  destroy  the  law,  but  to  fulfill"? 
and  ought  we  not  to  follow  Him? 

Peace  is  of  course  lost,  and  in  the  dread  uncer- 
tainty that  every-where  prevails,  who  can  distin- 
guish any  longer  between  God's  children  and  the 
world?  Yet  Judaism  had  its  family  of  God,  its 
ordinances  which  separated  them  from  those 
around,  its  absolutions  by  the  way  which  encour- 
aged hope,  while  yet,  as  continually  needed,  they 
sanctioned  no  presumptuous  assurance.  The  Chris- 
tian family  could  still  exist,  baptism  and  the  supper 
of  the  Lord  take  the  place  of  the  old  Jewish 
ordinances,  the  Christian  ministry  conform  to  the 
Levitical  priesthood,  and  the  Church  become  more 
venerable  by  her  identification  with  that  of  the 
saints  from  the  beginning,  and  richer  for  the  inher- 
itance of  all  the  promises  from  Abraham  down. 

This  is  assuredly  the  transformation  that  has 
taken  place,  and  that  began  so  early  that  we  have 
but  few  traces  of  the  manner  of  its  accomplishment, 
or  its  agents  either.  We  open  the  page  of  uninspired 
history,  and  the  terrible  transformation  has  been 
already  achieved.  In  fact,  so  fully,  that  it  presents 
the  only  difficulty  in  the  application  of  the  address 
before  us  to  the  period  of  heathen  persecution. 
One  would  hardly  suppose  from  the  Lord's  words 
here  that  (as  it  would  appear)  the  witnesses  for 
Him,  faithful  to  death  as  they  were,  were  never- 
theless thoroughly  implicated  in  this  descent  from 
Christianity  to  Judaism.  It  would  hardly  seem  as 
if  the  ''  blasphemy  "  or  slander  of  this  Jewish  party 


SMYRNA.  57 

had  been  directed  against  them,  or  that  the  Lord 
could  ignore  their  reception  of  these  satanic 
doctrines.* 

The  real  question  is,  how  far  could  we  expect 
the  history,  meagre  in  proportion  to  its  earliness, 
and  which  has  come  down  to  us  through  centuries 
of  darkness  and  hostility  to  the  truth,  to  reveal  to 
us  the  struggle  with  these  Jewish  teachers,  so 
generally  successful  as  they  were?  I  do  not  think 
we  could  expect  it.  An  age  which  would  forge  the 
names  of  those  in  repute  to  spurious  documents, 
often  with  the  express  design  of  giving  authority 
to  some  favorite  doctrine,  would  hardly  hesitate  to 
remove  the  too  suspicious  traces  of  opposition  to 
prevalent  views  and  practices  from  the  history  of 
the  early  church.  That  there  should  have  been  no 
such  struggle  is  scarcely  to  be  credited.  And  the 
words  of  our  Lord  here  may  well  be  taken  as  an 
encouragement  rather  to  believe  that  there  were 
even  many  who  were  doubly  faithful  in  this  time 
of  trial ;  faithful  amid  the  outside  persecution,  and 
faithful  also  against  what  could  and  did  soon  de- 
velop into  no  less  bitter  persecution  within  the 
professing  church. 

Of  one  thing  we  may  be  sure,  that  the  true 
history  of  the  Church  remains  to  be  written,  or  is 
written  only  before  God.  That  which  fills  men's 
histories  is  hardly,  save  in  responsibility,  the  Church 
at  all.  Solemn  it  is  to  realize  the  completeness  of 
the  ruin,  almost  from  the  first;  and  yet  this  has 
been  the  case  in  every  dispensation.  How  long  did 
our  first  parents  live  in  paradise?     Of  the  genera- 


*  For  I  cannot  accept,  as  some  do,  that  "  but  thou  art  rich  "  is  a  reproof. 
And  the  blasphemy  against  them  surely  should  acquit  them  of  complicity 
with  those  who  slander  them. 


58  PRESENT   THINGS,  ETC. 

tion  before  the  flood,  what  was  the  record?  and 
what  of  Noah's  sons?  Of  Israel  in  the  wilderness, 
but  two  of  all  that  as  men  left  Egypt  got  into  the 
land.  In  the  land,  how  soon  does  Bochim  succeed 
Gilgal!  The  priesthood  fail  on  the  day  of  their 
consecration.  The  first  king  falls  on  the  battle-field, 
an  apostate.  The  hands  that  have  built  the  temple 
to  the  true  God  build  the  shrines  of  idols.  The 
remnant  brought  back  from  Babylon  murder  one 
of  their  latest  prophets  (Matt,  xxiii.  35),  and  the 
awful  history  of  the  chosen  people  closes  with  the 
crucifixion  of  the  Son  of  God. 

What  hope,  then, for  the  Church?  And  here  the 
blessing  bestowed  only  makes  the  ruin  the  more 
awful:  the  corruption  of  the  best  becomes  the 
worst  corruption.  "The  annals  of  the  Church," 
says  the  Romish  historian,  ''are  the  annals  of  hell." 
How  solemn  a  witness  to  the  application  of  the 
words  here,  "  who  say  they  are  Jews,  and  are  not, 
but  are  the  synagogue  of  Satan  " ! 

Not  that  we  must  brand  with  this  name  the 
masses  who  fell  into  the  snare  prepared  for  them, 
still  less  the  generations  afterward  succeeding  to 
the  fatal  heritage.  It  is  applied,  as  we  may  easily 
see,  to  the  earnest  and  active  propagators  of  the 
heresy  rather  than  to  those  whom  they  seduced  to 
follow  them.  The  Word  of  God,  while  teaching 
us  to  be  open-eyed  as  to  the  character  of  things 
around  us,  teaches  us  carefully  the  need  of  making 
a  difference  as  to  those  who  may  profess  the  very 
same  principles.  Indeed,  as  to  persons,  love  will 
ever  hope  the  best  that  it  is  possible  to  hope.  It 
will  not  be  blinded  into  putting  good  for  evil,  or 
sweet  fo^  bitter;  and  for  evil  principles  it  never 
can  have  evert  the  smallest  toleration :  can  it  toler- 


NICOLAITANISM.  59 

ate  poison  in  that  which  is  men's  food  ?  But  it  is 
another  thing  when  the  question  of  what  is  in  the 
heart  is  raised.  We  are  never  really  called  to  judge 
what  is  in  the  heart,  while  we  are  called  to  judge 
what  is  manifest  in  the  life  and  ways.  **  I  wot  that 
through  ignorance  ye  did  it"  was  said  to  those  who 
had  had  part  in  crucifying  Christ ;  and  it  was  but 
the  echo  of  the  Lord's  own  plea  for  them. 

But  whatever  our  judgment  may  be  as  to  per- 
sons, the  evil   abides,  and   its   effects   are   in   the 
present  day  all  around  us.     The  Judaizing  of  the^ 
Church  means  the  vail  replaced  before  God,  souls 
at  a  distance,  in   uncertainty  and    darkness;    the 
Church  and  the  world  confounded,  the  children  of 
God  deprived  of  their  place  and  privileges,  the   \ 
world  made  Christian  in  form,  the  Church  more   i 
and  more  degraded  to  its  level.    The  development  / 
we  shall  see  at  length  in  the  after-addresses. 


Nicdlaitanism^  or  the  Rise  and  Grozvth  of  Clerisy. 

(Rev.  ii.  6,15.) 

The  address  to  Pergamos  follows  that  to 
Smyrna.  This  next  stage  of  the  Church's  jour- 
ney in  its  departure  (alas !)  from  truth  may  easily 
be  recognized  historically.  It  applies  to  the  time 
when,  after  having  passed  through  the  heathen 
persecution,  and  the  faithfulness  of  many  an 
Antipas  being  brought  out  by  it,  it  got  publicly 
recognized  and  established  in  the  world.  The 
characteristic  of  this  epistle  is,  the  Church  divclling 
where  Satan's  throne  is.  "  Throne  "  it  should  be, 
not  ''seat."  Now  Satan  has  his  throne,  not  in  hell,  ' 
which  is  his  prison,  and  where  he  never  reigns  at 


W 


6o  PRESENT  THINGS,  ETC. 

all,  but  in  the  world.  He  is  expressly  called  the 
''prince  of  this  world."  To  dwell  where  Satan's 
throne  is,  is  to  settle  down  in  the  world,  under 
Satan's  government,  so  to  speak,  and  protection. 
That  is  what  people  call  the  establishment  of  the 
Church.  It  took  place  in  Constantine's  time. 
Although  amalgamation  with  the  world  had  been 
growing  for  a  long  time  more  and  more  decided, 
yet  it  was  then  that  the  Church  stepped  into  the 
seats  of  the  old  heathen  idolatry.  It  was  what 
people  call  the  triumph  of  Christianity,  but  the 
•  result  was  that  the  Church  had  the  things  of  the 
world  now  as  never  before,  in  secure  possession: 
the  chief  place  in  the  world  was  hers,  and  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  world  every-where  pervaded  her. 

The  very  name  of  "Pergamos"  intimates  that. 
It  is  a  word  (without  the  particle  attached  to  it, 
which  is  itself  significant,) — really  meaning  ''  marri- 
age," and   the   Church's   marriage   before   Christ 
I         comes  to  receive  her  to  Himself  is  necessarily  un- 

j^    ■  faithfulness  to  Him  to  whom  she  is  espoused.     It 
yV  *  is  the  marriage  of  the  Church  and  t/ie  ivorld  which 

>  \  the  epistle  to  Pergamos  speaks  of — the  end  of  a 

\j^  ,  courtship  which  had  been  going  on  long  before. 

f^  There  is  something,  however,  which  is  prelimin- 

ary to  this,  and  mentioned  in  the  very  first  address ; 
but  there  it  is  evidently  incidental,  and  does  not 
characterize  the  state  of  things.  In  the  first  ad- 
dress, to  the  Ephesians,  the  Lord  says,  *'  But  this 
thou  hast,  that  thou  hatest  the  deeds  of  the  Nicola- 
itanes,  which  I  also  hate  "  (ii.  6).  Here  it  is  more  than 
the  "  deeds  "  of  the  Nicolaitanes.  There  are  now  not 
merely  "deeds,"  but  "doctrine."  And  the  Church, 
instead  of  repudiating  it,  was  holding  with  it.  In 
the  Ephesian   days,  they  hated  the  deeds  of  the 


NICOLAITANISM.  6l 

Nicolaitanes;    but  in  Pergamos,  they  "had,"  and 
did  not  reprobate,  those  who  held  the  doctrine. 

The  question  now  before  us  is.  How  shall  we 
interpret  this?  and  we  shall  find  that  the  word 
*' Nicolaitanes"  is  the  only  thing  really  which  we 
have  to  interpret  it  by.  People  have  tried  very 
hard  to  show  that  there  was  a  sect  of  the  Nicolai- 
tanes, but  it  is  owned  by  writers  now  almost  on  all 
sides  to  be  very  doubtful.  Nor  can  we  conceive 
why,  in  epistles  of  the  character  which  we  have 
seen  these  to  have,  there  should  be  such  repeated 
and  emphatic  mention  of  a  mere  obscure  sect,  about 
which  people  can  tell  us  little  or  nothing,  and  that 
seems  manufactured  to  suit  the  passage  before  us. 
The  Lord  solemnly  denounces  it:  "Which  thing  I 
hate."  It  must  have  a  special  importance  with  Him, 
and  be  of  moment  in  the  Church's  history,  little 
apprehended  as  it  may  have  been.  And  another 
thing  which  we  have  to  remember  is,  that  it  is  not 
the  way  of  Scripture  to  send  us  to  church  histories, 
or  to  any  history  at  all,  in  order  to  interpret  its 
sayings.  God's  Word  is  its  own  interpreter,  and 
we  have  not  to  go  elsewhere  in  order  to  find  out 
what  is  there ;  otherwise  it  becomes  a  question  of 
learned  men  searching  and  finding  out  for  those 
who  have  not  the  same  means  or  abilities,  applica- 
tions which  must  be  taken  on  their  authority  alone. 
This  He  would  not  leave  His  people  to.  Besides, 
it  is  the  ordinary  way  in  Scripture,  and  especially 
in  passages  of  a  symbolical  character,  such  as  is  the 
part  before  us,  for  the  names  to  be  significant.  I 
need  not  remind  you  how  abundantly  in  the  Old 
Testament  this  is  the  case ;  and  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment, although  less  noticed,  I  cannot  doubt  but 
that  there  is  the  same  significance  throughout. 


62  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

Here,  if  we  are  left  simply  to  the  name,  it  is  one 
sufficiently  startling  and  instructive.  Of  course,  to 
those  who  spoke  the  language  used,  the  meaning 
would  be  no  hidden  or  recondite  thing,  but  as  ap- 
parent as  those  of  Bunyan's  allegories.  It  means, 
then,  "  Conquering  the  peopled  The  last  part  of  the 
word  {^' Laos'')  is  the  word  used  in  Greek  for  "the 
people,"  and  it  is  the  word  from  which  the  com- 
monly used  term  ''  Laity  "  is  derived.  The  Nico- 
laitanes  were  just  those  "  subjecting — putting  down 
the  laity  " — the  mass  of  Christian  people,  in  order 
unduly  to  lord  it  over  them. 

What  makes  this  clearer  is,  that, — side  by  side 
with  the  Nicolaitanes  in  the  epistle  to  Pergamos, — 
we  have  those  who  hold  the  doctrine  of  Balaam, 
a  name  whose  similarity  in  meaning  has  been  ob- 
served by  many.  "  Balaam  "  is  a  Hebrew  word,  as 
the  other  is  a  Greek ;  but  its  meaning  is,  ^'Destroyer 
of  the  people,"  a  very  significant  one  in  view  of 
his  history ;  and  as  we  read  of  the  "  doctrine  of  the 
Nicolaitanes,"  so  we  read  of  a  ''doctrine  of  Balaam." 

You  have  pointed  out  what  he  ''taught"  Balak. 
Balaam's  doctrine  was,  "to  cast  a  stumbling-block 
before  the  children  of  Israel,  to  eat  things  sacrificed 
to  idols,  and  to  commit  fornication."  For  this  pur- 
pose he  enticed  them  to  mixture  with  the  nations, 
from  which  God  had  carefully  separated  them. 
That  needful  separation  broken  down  was  their 
destruction,  so  far  as  it  prevailed.  In  like  manner 
we  have  seen  the  Church  to  be  called  out  from  the 
world,  and  it  is  only  too  easy  to  apply  the  divine 
type  in  this  case.  But  here  we  have  a  confessedly 
typical  people,  with  a  corresponding  significant 
name,  and  in  such  close  connection  as  naturally  to 
confirm  the  reading  of  the  similar  word,  "  Nicolai- 


NICOLAITANISM.  63 

tanes,"  as  similarly  significant.  I  shall  have  to 
speak  more  of  this  at  another  time,  if  the  Lord  will. 
Let  us  notice  now  the  development  of  Nicolaitan- 
ism.  It  is,  first  of  all,  certain  people  who  have  this 
character,  and  who  (I  am  merely  translating-  the 
word.)  first  take  the  place  of  superiors  over  the 
people.  Their  "  deeds"  show  what  they  are.  There 
is  no  ''doctrine"  yet;  but  it  ends  in  Pergamos, 
with  the  doctrine  of  the  Nicolaitanes.  The  place 
is  assumed  now  to  be  theirs  by  right.  There  is  a 
doctrine — a  teaching  about  it,  received  at  least  by 
some,  and  to  which  the  Church  at  large — nay,  on 
the  whole  true  souls,  have  become  indifferent. 

Now  what  has  come  in  between  these  two  things, 
— the '' deeds "  and  the  "doctrine"?  What  we  were 
looking  at  last  time — the  rise  of  a  party  whom  the 
Lord  marks  out  as  those  who  said  thev  were  Jews 
and  were  not,  but  who  were  the  synagogue  of  Sa- 
tan :  the  adversary's  attempt  (alas !  too  successful) 
to  Judaize  the  Church. 

We  were  looking  but  a  little  while  since  at  what 
the  characteristics  of  Judaism  are.  It  was  a  pro- 
bationary system,  a  system  of  trial,  in  which  it  was 
to  be  seen  if  man  could  produce  a  righteousness 
for  God.  We  know  the  end  of  the  trial,  and  that 
God  pronounced  "  none  righteous — no,  not  one." 
And  then  alone  it  was  that  God  could  manifest  His 
grace.  As  long  as  He  was  putting  man  under  trial, 
He  could  not  possibly  open  the  way  to  His  own 
presence  and  justify  the  sinner  there.  He  had,  as 
long  as  this  trial  went  on,  to  shut  him  out ;  for  on 
that  ground,  nobody  could  see  God  and  live.  Now 
the  very  essence  of  Christianity  is  that  all  are  wel- 
comed in.  There  is  an  open  door,  and  ready  ac- 
cess, where  the  blood  of  Christ  entitles  every  one, 


64  PRESENT  THINGS,    ETC. 

however  much  a  sinner,  to  draw  near  to  God,  and 
to  find,  in  the  first  place,  at  His  hand,  justification 
as  ungodly.  To  see  God  in  Christ  is  not  to  die,  but 
live.  And  what,  further,  is  the  consequence  of  this? 
The  people  who  have  come  this  way  to  Him, — the 
people  who  have  found  the  way  of  access  through 
the  peace-speaking  blood  into  His  presence,  learned 
what  He  is  in  Christ,  and  been  justified  before  God, 
are  able  to  take,  and  taught  to  take,  a  place  distinct 
from  all  others,  as  now  His,  children  of  the  Father, 
members  of  Christ — His  body.  That  is  the  Church, 
a  body  called  out,  separate  from  the  world. 

Judaism,  on  the  other  hand,  necessarily  mixed  all 
together.  Nobody  there  could  take  such  a  place 
with  God:  nobody  could  cry,  ''Abba,  Father,"  really; 
therefore  there  could  not  be  any  separation.  This 
had  been  then  a  necessity,  and  of  God,  no  doubt; 
but  now,  Judaism  being  set  up  again,  after  God  had 
abolished  it,  it  was  no  use,  it  is  no  use,  to  urge  that 
it  was  once  of  Him ;  its  setting  up  was  the  too  suc- 
cessful work  of  the  enemy  against  His  gospel  and 
against  His  Church.  He  brands  these  Judaizers 
as  the  "  synagogue  of  Satan." 

Now  we  can  understand  at  once,  when  the  Church 
in  its  true  character  was  practically  lost  sight  of, 
when  Church-members  meant  people  baptized  by 
water  instead  of  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  or  when  the 
baptism  of  water  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost  were 
reckoned  one,  (and  this  very  early  became  accepted 
doctrine,)  how  of  course  the  Jewish  synagogue  was 
practically  again  set  up.  It  became  more  and  more 
impossible  to  speak  of  Christians  being  at  peace 
with  God,  or  saved.  They  were  hoping  to  be,  and 
sacraments  and  ordinances  became  means  of  grace 
to  insure,  as  far  as  might  be,  a  far-ofi  salvation. 


i 


NICOLAITANISM.  65 

Let  us  see  how  far  this  would  help  on  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Nicolaitanes.  It  is  plain  that  when  and 
as  the  Church  sank  into  the  synagogue,  the  Chris- 
tian people  became  practically  what  of  old  the 
Jewish  had  been.  Now,  what  was  that  position? 
As  I  have  said,  there  was  no  real  drawing  near  to 
God  at  all.  Even  the  high-priest,  who  (as  a  type 
of  Christ,)  entered  into  the  holiest  once  a  year,  on 
the  day  of  atonement,  had  to  cover  the  mercy-seat 
with  a  cloud  of  incense  that  he  might  not  die.  But 
the  ordinary  priests  could  not  enter  there  at  all, 
but  only  into  the  outer  holy  place ;  while  the  people 
in  general  could  not  come  in  even  there.  And  this 
was  expressly  designed  as  a  witness  of  their  condi- 
tion. It  was  the  result  of  failure  on  their  part^  for 
God's  offer  to  them,  which  you  may  find  in  the 
nineteenth  chapter  of  Exodus,  was  this:  "Now, 
therefore,  if  ye  will  obey  My  voice  indeed,  and  keep 
My  covenant,  ye  shall  be  a  peculiar  treasure  unto 
Me  above  all  people ;  for  all  the  earth  is  Mine ;  and 
ye  shall  be  unto  Me  a  kingdom  of  priests^  and  a 
holy  nation." 

They  were  thus  conditionally  offered  equal  near- 
ness of  access  to  God, — they  should  be  all  priests. 
But  this  was  rescinded,  for  they  broke  the  cove- 
nant; and  then  a  special  family  is  put  into  the 
place  of  priests,  the  rest  of  the  people  being  put 
into  the  background,  and  only  able  to  draw  near] 
to  God  through  these. 

Thus  a  separate  and  intermediate  priesthood 
characterized  Judaism,  as  on  the  other  hand,  for 
the  same  reason,  what  we  should  call  now  mission- 
irj-work  there  was  none.  There  was  no  going  out 
to  the  world  in  this  way,  no  provision,  no  command, 
to  preach  the  law  at  all.    What,  in  fact,  could  they 


66  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

say?  that  God  was  in  the  thick  darkness?  that  no 
one  could  see  Him  and  live?  It  is  surely  evident 
there  was  no  "good  news"  there.  Judaism  had 
no  true  gospel.  The  absence  of  the  evangelist  and 
the  presence  of  the  intermediate  priesthood  told 
the  same  sorrowful  story,  and  were  in  perfect 
keeping  with  each  other. 

Such  was  Judaism  ;  how  different,  then,  is  Chris- 
tianity !  No  sooner  had  the  death  of  Christ  rent 
the  vail,  and  opened  a  way  of  access  into  the  pres- 
ence of  God,  than  at  once  there  was  a  gospel,  and 
the  new  order  is,  "Go  out  into  all  the  world,  and 
preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature."  God  is 
making  Himself  known,  and  "is  He  the  God  of  the 
Jews  only?"  Can  you  confine  that  within  the 
bounds  of  a  nation?  No;  the  fermentation  of  the 
new  wine  would  burst  the  bottles. 

The  intermediate  priesthood  was,  on  the  other 

hand,  done  away;  for  all  the  Christian  people  are 

priests   now    to    God.       What    was    conditionally 

offered  to  Israel  is  now  an  accomplished  fact  in 

Christianity.    We  are  a  kingdom  of  priests ;  and  it 

•is,  in  the  wisdom  of  God,  Peter,  ordained  of  man 

the  great  head  of  ritualism,  who  in  his  first  epistle 

announces  the  two  things  which  destroy  ritualism 

root  and  branch  for  those  who  believe  him.     First, 

that  we  are  "born  again,"  not  of  baptism,  but  "by 

the   word    of    God,    that    liveth    and    abideth   for- 

iCver;"  and  this,  "the  word  which  by  the  gospel  is 

preached  unto  you."     Secondly,  instead  of  a  set  of 

priests,  he  says  to  all  Christians,  "Ye  also,  as  Hving 

^stones,  are  built  up  a  spiritual  house,  a  holy  priest- 

ihood,  to  offer  up  spiritual  sacrifices,  acceptable  to 

iGod  by  Jesus  Christ."  (ii.  5.)      The  sacrifices  are 

[spiritual,   praise  and   thanksgiving,   and  our  lives 


NICOLAITANISM.  6/ 

and  bodies  also  (Heb.  xiii.  15,  16;  Rom.  xii.  1);  but 
this  is  to  be  with  us  true  priestly  work,  and  thus 
do  our  lives  get  their  proper  character:  they  are 
the  thank-offering  service  of  those  able  to  draw 
nigh  to  God. 

In  Judaism,  let  me  repeat,  no  one  drew  really 
nigh;  but  the  people — the  laity  (for  it  is  only  a 
Greek  word  made  English,) — the  people  not  even 
as  the  priest  could.  The  priestly  caste,  wherever 
it  is  found,  means  the  same  thing.  There  is  no 
drawing  nigh  of  the  whole  body  of  the  people  at 
all.  It  means  distance  from  God,  and  darkness, — 
God  shut  out. 

Let  us  see  now  what  is  the  meaning  of  a  clergy. 
It  is,  in  our  day,  and  has  been  for  many  generations, 
the  word  which  specially  marks  out  a  class  dis- 
tinguished from  the  ''laity,"  and  distinguished  by 
being  given  up  to  sacred  things,  and  having  a  place 
of  privilege  in  connection  with  them  which  the 
laity  have  not.  No  doubt  in  the  present  day  this 
special  place  is  being  more  and  more  infringed  on, 
and  for  two  reasons.  One  is,  that  God  has  been 
giving  Ught,  and,  among  Protestants  at  least.  Scrip- 
ture is  opposing  itself  to  tradition, — modifying 
where  it  does  not  destroy  this.  The  other  is  a 
merely  human  one — that  the  day  is  democratic, 
and  class-privileges  are  breaking  down. 

But  what  means  this  class?  It  is  evident  that  as 
thus  distinguished  from  the  laity,  and  privileged 
beyond  them,  it  is  real  and  open  Nicolaitanism,  if 
Scripture  does  not  make  good  their  claim.  For 
then  the  laity  has  b^n  subjected  to  them,  and  that 
is  the  exact  meaning  of  the  term.  Does  Scripture, 
then,  use  such  terms?  It  is  plain  it  does  not.  They 
are,  as  regards  the  New  Testament,  an  invention  of 


68  PRESENT  THINGS,    ETC. 

later  date,  although,  it  may  be  admitted,  as  imported 
really  from  what  is  older  than  the  New, — the  Juda- 
ism with  which  the  Church  (as  we  have  seen,)  was 
quickly  permeated. 

But  we  must  see  the  important  principles  in- 
volved, to  see  how  the  Lord  has  (as  He  must  have) 
cause  to  say  of  the  deeds  of  the  Nicolaitanes, 
"Which  I  also  hate."  We  too,  if  we  would  be  in 
communion  with  the  Lord  in  this,  must  hate  what 
He  hates. 

I  am  not  speaking  of  people  (God  forbid  !) :  I  am 
speaking  of  a  thing.  Our  unhappiness  is,  that  we 
are  at  the  end  of  a  long  series  of  departures  from 
God,  and  as  a  consequence,  we  grow  up  in  the 
midst  of  many  things  which  come  down  to  us  as 
"tradition  of  the  elders,"  associated  with  names 
which  we  all  revere  and  love,  upon  whose  author- 
ity in  reality  we  have  accepted  them,  without  ever 
having  looked  at  them  really  in  the  light  of  God's 
presence.  And  there  are  many  thus  whom  we 
gladly  recognize  as  truly  men  of  God  and  servants 
of  God  in  a  false  position.  It  is  of  that  position  I 
am  speaking.  [  am  speaking  of  a  thing,  as  the 
Lord  does:  "Which  thing  I  hate."  He  does  not 
say,  Which  people  I  hate.  Although  in  those 
days  evil  of  this  kind  was  not  an  inheritance,  as 
now,  and  the  first  propagators  of  it,  of  course,  had 
a  responsibility,  self-deceived  as  they  may  have 
been,  peculiarly  their  own.  Still,  in  this  matter  as 
in  all  others,  we  need  not  be  ashamed  or  afraid  to 
be  where  the  Lord  is; — nay,  we  cannot  be  with 
Him  in  this  unless  we  are ;  and  He  says  of  Nicola- 
itanism,  "  Which  thing  I  hate." 

Because  what  does  it  mean?  It  means  a  spiritual 
caste,  or  class, — a  set  of  people  having-  officially  a 


NICOLAITANISM.  69 

right  to  leadership  in  spiritual  things;  a  nearness^ 
to  God,  derived  from  official  place,  not  spiritual  { 
power:  in  fact,  the  revival,  under  other  names,  and  ■ 
with  various  modifications,  of  that  very  interme-  : 
diate  priesthood  which  distinguished  Judaism,  and  ; 
which  Christianity  emphatically  disclaims.      That  \ 
is  what  a  clergy  means ;    and  in  contradiction  to  S 
these,  the  rest  of  Christians  are  but  the  laity,  the  1 
seculars,  necessarily  put  back  into  more  or  less  of 
the  old  distance,   which  the  cross  of  Christ  has  I 
done  away. 

We  see,  then,  why  it  needed  that  the  Church 
should  be  Judaized  before  the  deeds  of  the  Nico- 
laitanes  could  ripen  into  a  "  doctrine."  The  Lord 
even  had  authorized  obedience  to  scribes  and 
Pharisees  sitting  in  Moses'  seat ;  and  to  make  this 
text  apply,  as  people  apply  it  now,  Moses  seat  had 
of  course  to  be  set  up  in  the  Christian  Church ; 
this  done,  and  the  mass  of  Christians  degraded 
from  the  priesthood  Peter  spoke  of,  into  mere  "  lay 
members,"  the  doctrine  of  the  Nicolaitanes  was  at 
once  established. 

Understand  me  fully,  that  I  am  in  no  wise  ques- 
tioning the  divine  institution  of  the  Christian  min- 
istry. God  forbid !  for  ministry  in  the  fullest  sense 
is  characteristic  of  Christianity,  as  I  have  already 
in  fact  maintained.  Nor  do  I,  while  believing  that 
all  true  Christians  are  ministers  also  by  the  very 
fact,  deny  a  special  and  distinctive  ministry  of  the 
Word,  as  what  God  has  given  to  some  and  not 
to  all — though  for  the  use  of  all.  No  one  truly 
taught  of  God  can  deny  that  some,  not  all,  among 
Christians  have  the  place  of  evangelist,  pastor, 
teacher.  Scripture  makes  more  of  this  than  current 
views  do ;  for  it  teaches  that  every  true  minister  is 


/ 


70  TRESENT   THINGS,    P:TC. 

a  gift  from  Christ,  in  His  care,  as  Head  of  the 
Church,  for  His  people,  and  one  who  has  his  place 
from  God  alone,  and  is  responsible  in  that  character 
to  God,  and  God  alone.  The  miserable  system 
which  I  see  around  degrades  him  from  this  blessed 
place,  and  makes  him  in  fact  little  more  than 
ihe  manufacture  and  the  servant  of  men.  While 
giving,  it  is  true,  a  place  of  lordship  over  people 
which  gratifies  a  carnal  mind,  still  it  fetters  the 
spiritual  man,  and  puts  him  in  chains;  every  where 
giving  him  an  artificial  conscience  toward  man, 
hindering  in  fact  his  conscience  being  properly 
before  God. 
jj  vvi     Let  me  briefly  state  what  the  Scripture-doctrine 

fU  w  Qf  ^i^g  ministry  is — it  is  a  very  simple  one.  The 
Assembly  of  God  is  Christ's  body ;  all  the  members 

,^  arc  members  of  Christ.     There  is  no  other  mem- 

Ji)i/bership  in  Scripture  than  this — the  membership  of 

*^^  Christ's  body,  to  which  all  true  Christians  belong: 
not  many  bodies  of  Christ,  but  one  body ;  not  many 
Churches,  but  one  Church. 

There  is  of  course  a  different  place  for  each 
member  of  the  body  by  the  very  fact  that  he  is 
such.    All  members  have  not  the  same  office :  there 

V 

is  the  eye,  the  ear,  and  so  on,  but  they  are  all 
necessary,  and  all  necessarily  ministering,  in  some 
way  or  sense,  to  one  another. 
}  Every  member  has  its  place,  not  merely  locally, 
and  for  the  benefit  of  certain  other  members,  but 
for  the  benefit  of  the  whole  body. 

Each  member  has  its  ^i/t,  as  the  apostle  teaches 

distinctly.    *'  For  as  we  have  many  members  in  one 

body,  and  all  members  have  not  the  same  office;  so 

\       we,  being  many,  are  one  body  in  Christ,  and  every 

one  members  one  of  another.     Having  then  gifts 


NICOLAITANISM.   ^  /I 

differing  according  to  the  grace  that  is  given  to  us," 
etc.  (Rom.  xii.  4-6.) 

In  the  twelfth  chapter  of  first  Corinthians,  the 
apostle  speaks  at  large  of  these  gifts ;  and  he  calls 
them  by  a  significant  name — "  manifestations  of  the 
Spirit."  They  are  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  of  course  ;  but 
more,  they  are  "manifestations  of  the  Spirit;"  they 
manifest  themselves  where  they  are  found, — where 
(I  need  scarcely  add  that  I  mean,)  there  is  spiritual 
discernment, — where  souls  are  before  God. 

For  instance,  if  you  take  the  gospel  of  God, 
whence  does  it  derive  its  authority  and  power? 
From  any  sanction  of  men?  any  human  credentials 
of  any  kind?  or  from  its  own  inherent  power?  I 
dare  maintain,  that  the  common  attempt  to  authen- 
ticate the  messenger  takes  away  from  instead  of 
adding  to  the  power  of  the  Word.  God's  Word 
must  be  received  as  such:  he  that  receives  it  sets 
to  his  seal  that  God  is  true.  Its  ability  to  meet  the 
needs  of  heart  and  conscience  is  derived  from  the 
fact  that  it  is  ''  God's  good  news,"  who  knows  per- 
fectly what  man's  need  is,  and  has  provided  for  it 
accordingly.  He  who  has  felt  its  power  knows 
well  from  whom  it  comes.  The  work  and  witness 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  the  soul  need  no  witness  of 
man  to  supplement  them. 

Even  the  Lord's  appeal  in  His  own  case  was 
to  the  truth  He  uttered :  ''If  I  say  the  truth,  why 
do  ye  not  believe  Me?"  When  He  stood  forth  in 
the  Jewish  synagogue,  or  elsewhere,  He  was  but 
in  men's  eyes  a  poor  carpenter's  son,  accredited  by 
no  school  or  set  of  men  at  all.  All  the  weight  of 
authority  was  ever  against  Him.  He  disclaimed 
even"  receiving  testimony  from  men."  God's  Word 
alone  should  speak  for  God.     ''  My  doctrine  is  not 


72  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

Mine,  but  His  that  sent  Me."  And  how  did  it  ap- 
prove itself?  By  the  fact  of  its  being  truth.  "  If  I 
speak  the  truth,  why  do  you  not  beUeve  Me?"  It 
was  the  truth  that  was  to  make  its  way  with  the 
true.  "  He  that  will  do  God's  will  shall  know  of 
the  doctrine,  whether  it  be  of  God,  or  whether  I 
speak  of  Myself."  He  says,  "  I  speak  the  truth,  I 
bring  it  to  you  from  God ;  and  if  it  is  truth,  and  if 
you  are  seeking  to  do  God's  will,  you  will  learn  to 
recognize  it  as  the  truth."  God  will  not  leave 
people  in  ignorance  and  darkness,  if  they  are  seek- 
ing to  be  doers  of  His  will.  Can  you  suppose  that 
God  will  allow  true  hearts  to  be  deceived  by  what- 
ever plausible  deceptions  may  be  abroad?  He  is 
able  to  make  His  voice  known  by  those  who  seek 
to  hear  His  voice.  And  so  the  Lord  says  to  Pilate, 
*'  Every  one  that  is  of  the  truth  heareth  My  voice." 
(Jno.  xviii.  37.)  ''  My  sheep  hear  My  voice,  and  I 
know  them,  and  they  follow  Me ; "  and  again,  ''  A 
stranger  will  they  not  follow,  but  will  flee  from 
him ;  for  they  know  not  the  voice  of  strangers." 
(Jno.  X.  27,  5.) 

Such  is  the  nature  of  truth,  then,  that  to  pretend 
to  authenticate  it  to  those  who  are  themselves  true 
is  to  dishonor  it,  as  if  it  were  not  capable  of  self- 
evidence,  and  so  dishonor  God,  as  if  He  could  be 
wanting  to  souls,  or  to  what  He  Himself  has  given. 

Nay,  the  apostle  speaks  of  '*  by  manifestation  of 
the  truth  commending  ourselves  to  every  man's 
conscience  in  the  sight  of  God  "  (2  Cor.  iv.  2) ;  and 
the  Lord,  of  its  being  the  condemnation  of  the 
world,  that  ''light  is  come  into  the  world,  and  men 
loved  darkness  rather  than  light,  because  their 
deeds  were  evil"  (Jno.  iii.  19).  There  was  no  lack 
of  evidence :    light  was  there,  and  men  owned  its 


NICOLAITANISM.  73 

power   to   their    own    condemnation,    when   they 
sought  escape  from  it. 

Even  so  in  the  gift  was  there  "the  manifestation 
of  the  Spirit,"  and  it  was  "given  to  every  man  to 
profit  withal."  By  the  very  fact  that  he  had  it,  he 
was  responsible  to  use  it — responsible  to  Him  who 
had  not  given  it  in  vain.  In  the  gift  itself  lay  the 
ability  to  minister,  and  title  too;  for  I  am  bound  to 
help  and  serve  with  what  I  have.  And  if  souls  are 
helped,  they  need  scarcely  ask  if  I  had  commission 
to  do  it. 

This  is  the  simple  character  of  ministry — the 
service  of  love,  according  to  the  ability  which  God 
gives,  mutual  service  of  each  to  each  and  each  to 
all,  without  jostling  or  exclusion  of  one  another. 
Each  gift  was  thrown  into  the  common  treasury,  ^^JfJ^ 
and  all  were  the  richer  by  it.  God's  blessing  and 
the  manifestation  of  the  Spirit  were  all  the  sanction 
needed.  All  were  not  teachers,  still  less  public 
teachers,  of  the  Word  ;  still  in  these  cases,  the  same 
principles  exactly  applied.  That  was  but  one  de- 
partment of  a  service  which  had  many,  and  which 
was  rendered  by  each  to  each  according  to  his 
sphere. 

Was  there  nothing  else  than  that?   Was  there  no 
ordained  class  at  all,  then?     That  is  another  thing 
altogether.     There    were,  without   doubt,  in   the 
primitive  Church,  two  classes  of  officials,  regularly 
appointed,  or  (if  you  like)  ordained.     The  deacons 'J\|/*^ 
were  those  who,  having  charge  of  the  fund  for  the 
poor  and  other  purposes,  were  chosen  by  the  saints 
first  for  this  place  of  trust  in  their  behalf,  and  then 
appointed   authoritatively   by   apostles   mediately  1  tJL 
or  immediately.      Elders  were  a  second  class, —  ^ 
elderly  men,  as  the  word  imports, — who  were  ap- 


74  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

pointed  in  the  local  assemblies  as  ''bishops,"  or 
''overseers,"  to  take  cognizance  of  their  state. 
That  the  elders  were  the  same  as  bishops  may  be 
^seen  in  Paul's' words  to  the  elders  of  Ephesus, 
Avhere  he  exhorts  them  to  "take  heed  to  ...  .  all 
the  flock,  over  which  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  made 
you  overseers''  There  they  have  translated  the 
word,  "bishops,"  but  in  Titus  they  have  left  it — 
"that  thou  shouldest  ordain  elders  in  every  city,  as 
I  had  appointed  thee;  if  any  be  blameless,  .... 
for  a  bishop  must  be  blameless."  (Acts  xx.  28 ; 
Tit.  i.  5,  7.) 

Their  work  was  to  "oversee,"  and  although  for 
that  purpose  their  being  "  apt  to  teach  "  was  a  much- 
needed  qualification,  in  view  of  errors  already  rife, 
yet  no  one  could  suppose  that  teaching  was  con- 
fined to  those  who  were  "  elders,"  "  husbands  of  one 
wife,  having  their  children  in  subjection  with  all 
gravity."  This  was  a  needed  test  for  one  who  was 
to  be  a  bishop ;  "for  if  a  man  know  not  how  to  rule 
his  own  house,  how  shall  he  take  care  of  the 
Church  of  God?"  (i  Tim.  iii.  1-7.) 

Whatever  gifts  they  had  they  used,  as  all  did, 
and  thus  the  apostle  directs — "  Let  the  elders  that 
rule  well  be  counted  worthy  of  double  honor, 
especially  they  who  labor  in  the  Word  and  doc- 
trine (v.  17).  But  they  might  rule,  and  rule  well, 
without  this. 

The  meaning  of  their  ordmation  was  just  this, 
that  here  it  was  not  a  question  of  "gift,"  but  of 
authority.  It  was  a  question  of  title  to  take  up 
and  look  into,  often  difficult  and  delicate  matters, 
among  people  too  very  likely  in  no  state  to  submit 
to  what  was  merely  spiritual.  The  ministration  of 
gift  was  another  thing,  and  free,  under  God,  to  all. 


NICOLAITANISM.  75 

Thus  much,  very  briefly,  as  to  Scripture-doctrine. 
Our  painful  duty  is  now  to  put  in  contrast  with  it 
the  system  I  am  deprecating,  according  to  which 
a  distinct  class  are  devoted  formally  to  spiritual 
things,  and  the  people — the  laity — are  in  the  same 
ratio  excluded  from  such  occupation.  This  is  true 
Nicolaitanism, — the  "subjection  of  the  people." 

Again  I  say,  not  only  that  ministry  of  the 
Word  is  entirely  right,  but  that  there  are  those 
who  have  special  gift  and  responsibility  (though 
still  not  exclusive)  to  minister  it.  But  priesthood 
is  another  thing,  and  a  thing  sufficiently  distinct 
to  be  easily  recognized  where  it  is  claimed  or  in 
fact  exists.  I  am,  of  course,  aware  that  Protestants 
in  general  disclaim  any^  priestly  powers  for  their 
ministers.  I  have  no  wish  nor  thought  of  disput- 
ing their  perfect  honesty  in  this  disavowal.  They 
mean  that  they  have  no  thought  of  the  minister 
having  any  authoritative  power  of  absolution  ;  and 
that  they  do  not  make  the  Lord's  table  an  altar, 
whereon  afresh  day  after  day  the  perfection  of 
Christ's  one  offering  is  denied  by  countless  repeti- 
tions. They  are  right  in  both  respects,  but  it  is 
scarcely  the  whole  matter.  If  we  look  more  deeply, 
we  shall  find  that  much  of  a  priestly  character  may 
attach  where  neither  of  these  have  the  least  place. 

Priesthood  and  ministry  may  be  distinguished  in 
this  way:  Ministry  (in  the  sense  we  are  now^ 
considering)  is  to  men;  priesthood  is  to  God.  The 
minister  brings  God's  message  to  the  people, — he 
speaks  for  Him  to  them :  the  priest  goes  to  God 
for  the  people, — he  speaks  in  the  reverse  way,  for 
them  to  Him.  It  is  surely  easy  to  distinguish 
these  two  attitudes. 

"Praise  and  thanksgiving"  are  spiritual  "  sacri- 


76  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

fices :  "  they  are  part  of  our  offering  as  priests.    Put 
a  special  class  into  a  place  where  regularly*  and 
officially  they  act  thus  for  the  rest,  they  are  at  once 
in  the  rank  of  an  intermediate  priesthood, — media- 
tors with  God  for  those  who  are  not  so  near. 
.     Vi      The  Lord's  supper  is  the  most  prominent  and 
^^     fullest   expression   of    Christian   thankfulness   and 
^*   adoration  publicly  and  statedly ;  but  what  Protest- 
'*  V      ant  minister  does  not  look  upon  it  as  his  official 


J^    ^  right  to  administer  this?   what  ''layman"  would 

a.f'^not  shrii 
*^      it?      And  this  is  one  of  the  terrible  evils  of  the 


"not  shrink  from  the  profanation  of  administering 


^  ,  system,  that  the  mass  of  Christian  people  are  thus 
*  L  distinctly  secularized.  Occupied  with  worldly 
p^f^  things,  they  cannot  be  expected  to  be  spiritually 
what  the  clergy  are.  And  to  this  they  are  given 
over,  as  it  were.  They  are  released  from  spiritual 
occupations,  to  which  they  are  not  equal,  and  to 
which  others  give  themselves  entirely. 

But  this  must  evidently  go  much  further.  ''The 
priest's  lips  should  keep  knowledge."  The  laity, 
who  have  become  that  by  abdicating  their  priest- 
hood, how  should  they  retain  the  knowledge  be- 
longing to  a  priestly  class?  The  unspirituality  to 
which  they  have  given  themselves  up  pursues  them 
here.  The  class  whose  business  it  is,  become  the 
authorized  interpreters  of  the  Word  also,  for  how 
should  the  secular  man  know  so  well  what  Scrip- 
ture means?  Thus  the  clergy  become  spiritual 
eyes  and  ears  and  mouth  for  the  laity,  and  are  in 
the  fair  way  of  becoming  the  whole  body  too. 

But  it  suits  people  well.     Do  not  mistake  me  as 

if  I  meant  that  this  is  all  come  in  as  the  assumption 

f  of  a  class  merely.     It  is  that,  no  doubt ;  but  never 

I   could  this  miserable  and   unscriptural  distinction 


NICOLAITANISM.  7/ 

of  clergy  and  laity  have  obtained  so  rapidly  as  it 
did,  and  so  universally,  if  every  where  it  had  not 
been  found  well  adapted  to  the  tastes  of  those  even 
whom  it  really  displaced  and  degraded.  Not  alone 
in  Israel,  but  in  Christendom  also,  has  it  been  ful- 
filled :  "  The  prophets  prophecy  falsely,  and  the 
priests  bear  rule  through  their  means,  and  My  peo- 
ple love  to  have  it  so !  "  Alas!  they  did,  and  they 
do.  As  spiritual  decline  sets  in,  the  heart  that  isj 
turning  to  the  world  barters  readily,  Esau-hke,  itsj 
spiritual  birthright  for  a  mess  of  pottage.  It  ex-' 
changes  thankfully  its  need  of  caring  too  much  forj 
spiritual  things,  with  those  who  will  accept  the 
responsibility  of  this.  Worldliness  is  well  covered! 
with  a  layman's  cloak ;  and  as  the  Church  at  large 
dropped  out  of  first  love,  (as  it  did  rapidly,  and 
then  the  world  began  to  come  in  through  the 
loosly  guarded  gates,)  it  became  more  and  more 
impossible  for  the  rank  and  file  of  Christendom  to 
take  the  blessed  and  wonderful  place  which  be- 
longed to  Christians.  The  step  taken  downward,} 
instead  of  being  retrieved,  only  made  succeeding! 
steps  each  one  easier;  until,  in  less  than  threej 
hundred  years  from  the  beginning,  a  Jewish  priest-j 
hood  and  a  ritualistic  religion  were  every-where! 
installed.  Only  so  much  the  worse,  as  the  preciousj 
things  of  Christianity  left  their  names  at  least  aa 
spoils  to  the  invader,  and  the  shadow  became  forj 
most  the  substance  itself. 

But  I  must  return  to  look  more  particularly  at 
one  feature  in  this  clerisy.  I  have  noted  the  con- 
founding of  ministry  and  priesthood ;  the  assump- 
tion of  an  official  title  in  spiritual  things,  of  title  to 
administer  the  Lord's  supper,  and  I  might  have 
added  also,  to  baptize.     For  none  of  these  things 


78  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

can  scripture  be  found  at  all.  But  1  must  dwell  a 
little  more  on  the  emphasis  that  is  laid  on  ordination. 

<f  I  want  you  to  see  a  httle  more  what  ordination 
means.     In  the  first  place,  if  you  look  through  the 

i-  New  Testament,  3^ou  will  find  nothing  about  ordi- 

I  nation  to  teach  or  to  preach.  You  find  people 
going  about  every  where  freely  exercising  what- 
ever gift  they  had ;  the  whole  Church  was  scattered 
abroad  from  Jerusalem  except  the  apostles,  and 
they  went  every  where  preaching  (literally,  evan- 
gelizing) the  Word.  The  persecution  did  not 
ordain  them,  I  suppose.  So  with  Apollos:  so  with 
Philip  the  deacon.  There  is,  in  fact,  no  trace  of 
any  thing  else.  Timothy  received  a  gift  by  proph- 
ecy, by  the  laying  on  of  Paul's  hands  with  those  of 
the  elders ;  but  that  was  gift,  not  authorization  to 

[  use  it.  So  he  is  bidden  to  communicate  his  own 
knowledge  to  faithful  men,  who  should  be  able  to 
teach  others  also ;  but  there  is  not  a  word  about 
ordaining  them.  The  case  of  elders  I  have  already 
noticed.  That  of  Paul  and  Barnabas  at  Antioch  is 
the  most  unhappy  that  can  be  for  the  purpose  peo- 
ple use  it  for;  for  prophets  and  teachers  are  made 
to  ordain  an  apostle,  and  one  who  totally  disclaims 
being  that,  ''  of  men  or  by  man."  And  there  the 
Holy  Ghost  {not  confers  power  of  ordaining  any, 
but)  says,  *'  Separate  Me  Barnabas  and  Saul  for  the 
work  whereto  I  have  called  them," — a  special  mis- 
sionary journey,  which  it  is  shown  afterward  they 
had  fulfilled.  (See  Acts  viii,  xi,  xiii,  xviii ;  i  Tim.,  etc.) 
Now,  what  means  this  "ordination"?  It  means 
much,  you  may  be  sure,  or  it  would  not  be  so  zeal- 
ously contended  for  as  it  is.  There  are,  no  doubt, 
two  phases  of  it.  In  the  most  extreme,  as  among 
Romanists  and  ritualists,  there  is  claimed  for  it  in 


NICOLAITANISM.  79 

the  fullest  way  that  it  is  the  conveyance,  not  merely 
of  authority,  but  of  spiritual  power.  They  assume 
with  all  the  power  of  apostles  to  give  the  Holy 
Ghost  by  the  laying  on  of  their  hands,  and  here  for 
priesthood  in  the  fullest  way.  The  people  of  God 
as  such  are  rejected  from  the  priesthood  He  has 
given  them,  and  a  special  class  are  put  into  their 
place  to  mediate  for  them  in  a  way  which  sets  aside 
the  fruit  of  Christ's  work,  and  ties  them  to  the 
Church  as  the  channel  of  all  grace.  Among  Prot- 
estants, you  think  perhaps  I  need  not  dwell  on  this ; 
but  it  is  done  among  some  of  these  also,  in  words 
which  to  a  certain  class  of  them  seem  strangely  to 
mean  nothing,  while  another  class  find  in  them  the 
abundant  sanction  of  their  highest  pretensions. 

Those,  on  the  other  hand,  who  rightly  and  con- 
sistently reject  these  unchristian  assumptions  do 
not  pretend  indeed  to  confer  any  gift  in  ordination, 
but  only  to  "  recognize "  the  gift  which  God  has 
given.  But  then,  after  all,  this  recognition  is  con- 
sidered necessary  before  the  person  can  baptize  or 
administer  the  Lord's  supper, — things  which  reallyj 
require  no  peculiar  gift  at  all.  And  as  to  the  min-* 
istry  of  the  Word,  God's  gift  is  made  to  require 
human  sanction,  and  is  "  recognized  "  on  behalf  of 
His  people  by  those  who  are  considered  to  have  a 
discernment  which  the  people  as  such  have  not. 
Blind  themselves  or  not,  these  men  are  to  become 
"  leaders  of  the  blind ; "  else  why  need  others  to  be 
eyes  for  them,  while  their  own  souls  are  taken  out 
of  the  place  of  immediate  responsibility  to  God, 
and  made  responsible  unduly  to  man?  An  artificial 
[conscience  is  manufactured  for  them,  and  condi- 
[tions  are  constantly  imposed,  to  which  they  have 
Lo  conform  in  order  to  obtain  the  needful  recogni- 


8o 

tion.  It  is  well  if  they  are  not  under  the  control 
of  their  ordainers  as  to  their  path  of  service  also, 
as  they  generally  are. 

In  principle,  this  is  unfaithfulness  to  God ;  for  if 
He  has  given  me  gift  to  use  for  Him,  1  am  surely 
unfaithful  if  I  go  to  any  man  or  body  of  men  to 
ask  their  leave  to  use  it.  The  gift  itself  carries 
vv^ith  it  the  responsibility  of  using  it,  as  we  have 
seen.  If  they  say,  ''  But  people  may  make  mis- 
takes," I  own  it  thoroughly ;  but  who  is  to  assume 
my  responsibility  if  I  am  mistaken?  And  again, 
the  mistakes  of  an  ordaining  body  are  infinitely 
more  serious  than  those  of  one  who  merely  runs 
unsent.  Their  mistakes  are  consecrated  and  per- 
petuated by  the  ordination  they  bestow ;  and  the 
man  who,  if  he  stood  simply  upon  his  own  merits, 
would  soon  find  his  true  level,  has  a  character  con- 
ferred upon  him  by  it  which  the  whole  weight  of 
the  system  must  sustain.  Mistake  or  not,  he  is 
none  the  less  one  of  the  clerical  body, — a  minister, 
if  he  has  nothing  really  to  minister.  He  must  be 
provided  for,  if  only  with  some  less  conspicuous 
place,  where  souls,  dear  to  God  as  any,  are  put 
under  his  care,  and  must  be  unfed  if  he  cannot 
feed  them. 

Do  not  accuse  me  of  sarcasm ;  it  is  the  system  I 
am  speaking  of  which  is  a  sarcasm, — a  swathing  of 
the  body  of  Christ  in  bands  which  hinder  the  free 
circulation  of  the  vitalizing  blood  which  should  be 
permeating  unrestrictedly  the  whole  of  it.  Nature 
itself  should  rebuke  the  folly — the  enormous  infer- 
ence from  such  scriptural  premises  as  that  apostles 
and  apostolic  men  *' ordained  elders"!  They  must 
prove  that  they  are  either,  and  (granting  them  that,) 
that  the  Scripture  ''elder"  might  be  no  elder  at  all, 


^-r* 


NICOLAITANISM.  8l 

but  a  young  unmarried  man  just  out  of  his  teens,, 
and  on  the  other  hand  was  evangelist,  pastor, 
teacher — all  God's  various  gifts  rolled  into  one.' 
This  is  the  minister  (according  to  the  system,  in-^ 
deed,  f/tc  minister,) — the  all  in  all  to  the  fifty  or  five! 
hundred  souls  who  are  committed  to  him  as  '' /n's- 
flock,"  with  which  no  other  has  title  to  interfere ! 
Surely,  surely,  the  brand  of  "  Nicolaitanism "  is 
upon  the  forefront  of  such  a  system  as  this ! 

Take  it  at  its  best,  the  man,  if  gifted  at  all,  is 
scarcely  likely  to  have  everj^  gift.  Suppose  he  is 
an  evangelist,  and  souls  are  happily  converted ;  he 
is  no  teacher,  and  cannot  build  them  up.  Or  he  is 
a  teacher,  sent  to  a  place  where  there  are  but  a  few 
Christians,  and  the  mass  of  his  congregation  un- 
converted men.  There  are  no  conversions,  and  his 
presence  there  {according  to  the  system)  keeps  away 
the  evangehst  who  is  needed  there.  Thank  God  !^ 
He  is  ever  breaking  up  these  systems,  and  in  some' 
irregular  way  the  need  may  be  supplied.  But  thq 
supply  is  sChismatical  and  a  confusion:  the  new 
wine  breaks  the  poor  human  bottles. 

For  all  this  the  system  is  responsible.     The  ex-^ 
elusive  ministry  of  one  man  or  of  a  number  of  men       y, 
in  a  congregation  has  no  shred  of  Scripture  to  j  r-^ 
support  it;  while  the  ordination,  as  we  have  seen,! 
is  the  attempt  to  confine  all  ministry  to  a  certain 
class,  and   make  it  rest  on    human   authorization 
rather  than  on  divine  gift,  the  people,  Christ's  sheep, 
being  denied  their  competency  to  hear  His  voice. 
The  inevitable  tendency  is,  to  fix  upon  the  man  the 
attention  which  should  be  devoted  to  the  word  he 
brings.     The  question  is,  Is  he  accredited?     If  he 
speak  truly  is  subordinated  to  the  question,  Is  he 
ordained?  or,  perhaps  I  should  say,  his  orthodoxy 


82  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

is  settled  already  for  them  by  the  fact  of  his  ordi- 
nation, 
i      Paul,  an  apostle,  not  of  men,  nor  by  man,  could 
*  not  have  been,  upon   this  plan,  received.     There 
were  apostles  before  him,  and  he  neither  went  up 
to  them  nor  got  any  thing  from  them.     If  there 
were  a  succession,  he  was  a  break  in  the  succession. 
^  And  what  he  did  he  did  designedly,  to  show  that 
\  his  gospel  was  not  after  man  (Gal.  i.  ii),  and  that 
it  might  not  rest  upon  the  authority  of  man.    Nay, 
if  he  himself  preached  a  different  gospel  from  that 
he  had  preached,  (for  there  was  not  another^ — yea, 
or  an  angel  from  heaven  (where  the  authority,  if 
that  were  in  question,  might  seem  conclusive),  his 
solemn  decision  is,  **  Let  him  be  accursed." 

Authority,  then,  is  nothing  if  it  be  not  the  au- 
thority of  the  Word  of  God.  That  is  the  test — Is 
it  according  to  the  Scriptures?  ''  If  the  blind  lead 
the  blind,  shall  they  not  botJi  fall  into  the  ditch?" 
To  say,  ''  I  could  not,  of  course,  know :  I  trusted 
another,"  will  not  save  you  from  the  ditch. 

But  the  unspiritual  and  unlearned  layman,  how 
can  he  pretend  to  equal  knowledge  with  the  edu- 
cated and  accredited  minister  devoted  to  spiritual 
things?  In  point  of  fact,  in  general  he  does  not. 
He  yields  to  the  one  who  should  know  better;  and 
practically  the  minister's  teaching  largely  supplants 
the  authority  of  the  Word  of  God.  Not  that  cer- 
tainty, indeed,  is  thus  attained.  He  cannot  conceal 
it  from  himself  that  people  differ — wise  and  good 
and  learned  and  accredited  as  they  may  be.  But 
here  the  devil  steps  in,  and,  if  God  has  allowed 
men's  ''authorities"  to  get  mto  a  Babel  of  confu- 
sion, as  they  have,  suggests  to  the  unwary  soul 
that  the  confusion  must  be  the  result  of  the  obscu- 


nicolaitAnism.  83 

rity  of  Scripture,  whereas  they  have  got  into  it  by 
disregarding  Scripture. 

But  this  is  every  where !  Opinion,  not  faith ; — 
opinion  to  which  you  are  welcome  and  have  a 
right,  of  course ;  and  you  must  allow  others  a  right 
to  theirs.  You  may  say,  "  I  believe,"  as  long  as 
you  do  not  mean  by  that,  "  I  know."  To  claim 
"knowledge"  is  to  claim  that  you  are  wiser,  more 
learned,  better,  than  whole  generations  before  you, 
who  thought  opposite  to  you. 

Need  I  show  you  how  infidelity  thrives  upon 
this?  how  Satan  rejoices  when  for  the  simple  and 
emphatic  ''Yea"  of  the  divine  voice  he  succeeds  in 
substituting  the  Yea  and  Nay  of  a  host  of  jarring 
commentators?  Think  you  you  can  fight  the  Lord's 
battles  with  the  rush  of  human  opinion  instead  of 
"the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  Word  of 
God"?  Think  you  "Thus  saith  John  Calvin,  or 
John  Wesley,"  will  meet  Satan  as  satisfactorily  as 
"  Thus  saith  the  Lord''? 

Who  can  deny  that  such  thoughts  are  abroad, 
and  in  no  wise  confined  to  papists  or  ritualists? 
The  tendency,  alas!  is,  in  the  heart  of  unbelief  ever 
departing  from  the  living  God, — as  near  to  His 
own  to-day  as  at  any  time  through  the  centuries 
His  Church  has  traveled  on,  as  competent  to  in- 
struct as  ever,  as  ready  to  fulfill  the  word,  "He 
that  will  do  His  will  shall  know  of  the  doctrine, 
whether  it  be  of  God."  The  "eyes"  are  "of  the 
heart!'  and  not  the  head.  He  has  hidden  from  wise 
and  prudent  what  He  reveals  to  babes.  The  school 
of  God  is  more  effectual  than  all  colleges  combined, 
and  here  layman  and  cleric  are  equal :  "  he  that  ii 
spiritual  discerneth  all  things,"  and  he  alone.  Sub 
stitute  for  spirituality  there  is  none :  unspirituality 


84  '      PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

the  Spirit  of  God  alone  can  remedy.  Ordination, 
such  as  practiced,  is  rather  a  sanction  put  upon  it, 
— an  attempt  to  manifest  what  is  the  manifestation 
of  the  Spirit,  or  not  His  work  at  all,  and  to  provide 
leaders  for  the  blind,  whom  with  all  their  care  they 
cannot  insure  not  being  blind  also. 

Before  I  close,  I  must  say  a  few  words  about 
''succession."  An  ordination  which  pretends  to  be 
derived  from  the  apostles  must  needs  be  (to  be 
consistent,)  a  successional  one.  Who  can  confer 
authority  (and  in  the  least  and  lowest  theories  of 
ordination  authority  is  conferred,  as  to  baptize,  and 
to  administer  the  Lord's  supper,)  but  one  himself 
authorized  for  this  very  purpose?  You  must, 
therefore,  have  a  chain  of  ordained  men,  lineally 
succeeding  one  another.  Apostolic  succession  is 
as  necessary  on  the  presbyterian  as  on  the  episco- 
palian plan.  John  Wesley,  as  his  warrant  for 
ordaining,  fell  back  upon  the  essential  oneness  of 
bishop  and  presbyter.  Nay,  presbyterians  will 
urge  against  episcopalians  the  ease  of  maintaining 
succession  in  this  way.  I  have  nothing  to  do  with 
this:  I  only  insist  that  succession  is  needed. 

But  then,  mark  the  result.  It  is  a  thing  apart 
alike  from  spirituality  and  from  truth  even.  A 
Romish  priest  may  have  it  as  well  as  any ;  and 
indeed  through  the  gutter  of  Rome  most  of  that 
we  have  around  us  must  necessarily  have  come 
down.  Impiety  and  impurity  do  not  in  the  least 
invalidate  Christ's  commission.  The  teacher  of 
false  doctrine  may  be  as  well  His  messenger  as  the 
teacher  of  truth.  Nay,  the  possession  of  the  truth, 
with  gift  to  minister  it  and  godliness  combined,  are 
actually  no  part  of  the  credentials  of  the  true  am- 


NICOLAITANISM.  85 

bassador.  He  may  have  all  these  and  be  none ;  he 
may  want  them  all  and  be  truly  one  nevertheless. 

Who  can  believe  such  doctrine?  Can  He  who 
is  truth  accredit  error? — the  righteous  One  un- 
righteousness? It  is  impossible.  This  ecclesiasti- 
cism  violates  every  principle  of  morality,  and 
hardens  the  conscience  that  has  to  do  with  it.  For 
why  need  we  be  careful  for  truth  if  He  is  not?  and 
how  can  He  send  messengers  that  He  would  not 
have  to  be  believed?  His  own  test  of  a  true  wit- 
ness fails;  for  "he  that  speaketh  of  himself  seeketh 
his  own  glory ;  but  he  that  seeketh  Jiis  glory  that 
sent  him,  the  same  is  true,  and  no  unrighteousness 
is  in  him."  His  own  test  of  credibility  fails,  for 
*'  If  I  speak  the  truth,  why  do  ye  not  believe  Me?" 
was  His  own  appeal. 

No:  to  state  this  principle  is  to  condemn  it. 
He  who  foresaw  and  predicted  the  failure  of  what 
should  have  been  the  bright  and  evident  witness  of 
His  truth  and  grace,  could  not  ordain  a  succession 
of  teachers  for  it  who  should  carry  His  commission 
unforfeitable  by  whatever  failure !  Before  apostles 
had  left  the  earth,  the  house  of  God  had  become 
as  a  ''great  house,"  and  it  was  necessary  to  sepa- 
rate from  vessels  to  dishonor  in  it.  He  who  bade 
His  apostle  to  instruct  another  to  ''follow  right- 
eousness, faith,  love,  peace,  with  those  who  call  on 
the  Lord  out  of  a  pure  heart,"  could  not  possibly 
tell  us  to  listen  to  men  who  are  alien  from  all  this, 
as  His  ministers,  and  having  His  commission  in 
spite  of  all.  And  thus  notably,  in  the  second  epis- 
tle to  Timothy,  in  which  this  is  said,  there  is  no 
longer,  as  in  the  first,  any  talk  of  elders  or  of 
ordained  men.  It  is  ''faithful  men"  who  are 
wanted,  not  for  ordination,  but  for  the  deposit  of 


86  PRESENT  THINGS,  ETC. 

f  the  truth  committed  to  Timothy:  "The  things 
which  thou  hast  heard  of  me  among  many  wit- 
nesses, the  same  commit  thou  to  faithful  men,  who 
shall  be  able  to  teach  others  also." 

Thus  God's  holy  Word  vindicates  itself  to  the 
heart  and  conscience  ever.     The  effort  to  attach 
His  sanction  to  a  Romish  priesthood  or  a  Protest- 
ant hierarchy  fails  alike  upon  the  same  ground,  for 
as  to  this  they  are  upon  the  same  ground.     Alas! 
Nicolaitanism  is  no  past  thing — no  obscure  doc- 
trine of  past  ages,  but  a  wide-spread  and  gigantic 
system  of  error,  fruitful  in  evil  results.     Error  is 
long-lived,  though  mortal.     Reverence  it  not  for 
its  gray  hairs,  and  follow  not  with  a  multitude  to 
do  evil.  With  cause  does  the  Lord  say  in  this  case, 
*' Which  thing  I  hate."     If  He  does,  shall  we  be 
afraid  to  have  fellowship  with  Him?     That  there 
are   good   men   entangled   in   it,  all   must  admit. 
I  There  are  godly   men,  and   true  ministers,  igno- 
\  rantly    wearing   the   livery   of    men.      May   God 
I  deliver  them!    may  they  cast  aside   their  fetters 
I  and  be  free !     May  they  rise  up  to  the  true  dignity 
I  of  their  calling,  responsible  to  God,  and  walking 
/  before  Him  alone ! 

*  On  the  other  hand,  beloved  brethren,  it  is  of 
immense  importance  that  all  His  people,  however 
^diverse  their  places  in  the  body  of  Christ  may  be, 
/  should  realize  that  they  are  a//  as  really  ministers 
as  they  are  all  priests.  We  need  to  recognize  that 
every  Christian  has  spiritual  duties  flowing  from 
spiritual  relationship  to  every  other  Christian.  It 
is  the  privilege  of  each  one  to  contribute  his  share 
to  the  common  treasury  of  gift,  with  which  Christ 
has  endowed  His  Church.  Nay,  he  who  does  not 
contribute  is  actually  holding  back  what  is  his  debt 


NICOLAITANISM.    ^  8/ 

to  the  whole  family  of  God.  No  possessor  of  one 
talent  is  entitled  to  wrap  it  in  a  napkin  upon 
that  account :  it  would  be  mere  unfaithfulness  and 
unbelief. 

"  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive." 
Brethren  in  Christ,  when  shall  we  awake  to  the 
reality  of  our  Lord's  words  there?  Ours  is  a 
never-failing  spring  of  perpetual  joy  and  blessing, 
which  if  we  but  come  to  when  we  thirst,  out  of  our 
beUies  shall  flow  rivers  of  living  water.  The  spring 
is  not  limited  by  the  vessel  which  receives  it :  it  is 
divine,  and  yet  ours  fully, — fully  as  can  be !  Oh  to 
know  more  this  abundance,  and  the  responsibility 
of  the  possession  of  it,  in  a  dry  and  weary  scene 
Hke  this!  Oh  to  know  better  the  infinite  grace 
which  has  taken  us  up  as  channels  of  its  outflow 
among  men!  When  shall  we  rise  up  to  the  sense 
of  our  common  dignity, — to  the  sweet  reality  of 
fellowship  with  Him  who  *'came  not  to  be  minis- 
tered unto,  but  to  minister"?  Oh  for  nnofficiah 
ministry — the  overflowing  of  full  hearts  into  empty! 
ones,  so  many  as  there  are  around  us!  How  wer 
should  rejoice,  in  a  scene  of  want  and  misery  and 
sin,  to  find  perpetual  opportunity  to  show  the 
competency  of  Christ's  fullness  to  meet  and  minis- 
ter to  every  form  of  it. 

Official  ministry  is  practical  independence  of  the 
Ipirit  of  God.  It  is  to  decide  that  such  a  vessel 
jhall  overflow  though  at  the  time,  it  may  be,  prac- 
tically empty ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  that  such 
mother  shall  7iot  overflow,  however  full  He  may 
lave  filled  it  up.  It  proposes,  in  the  face  of  Him 
^who  has  come  down  in  Christ's  absence  to  be  the 
jGuardian  of  His  people,  to  provide  for  order  and 
[or  edification,  not  by  spiritual  power,  but  by  leg- 


88  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

islation.  It  would  provide  for  failure  on  the  part 
of  Christ's  sheep  to  hear  His  voice,  by  making  it  as 
far  as  possible  unnecessary  for  them  to  do  so.  It 
thus  sanctions  and  perpetuates  unspirituality,  in- 
stead of  condemning  or  avoiding  it. 

It  is  quite  true  that  in  God's  mode  of  treating  it 
the  failure  in  man's  part  may  become  more  evident 
externally ;  for  He  cares  Uttle  for  a  correct  outside 
when  the  heart  is  nevertheless  not  right  with  Him, 
and  He  knows  well  that  ability  to  maintain  a  cor- 
rect outside  may  in  fact  prevent  a  truthful  judgment 
of  what  is  our  real  condition  before  Him.  Men 
would  have  upbraided  Peter  with  his  attempt  to 
walk  upon  those  waves  which  made  his  little  faith 
so  manifest.  The  Lord  would  only  rebuke  the 
littleness  of  the  faith  which  made  him  fail.  And 
man  still  and  ever  would  propose  the  boat  as  the 
remedy  for  failure,  instead  of  the  strength  of  the 
Lord's  support,  which  He  made  Peter  prove.  Yet, 
after  all,  the  boat  confessedly  may  fail, — winds  and 
waves  may  overthrow  it ;  but  "  the  Lord  on  high  is 
mightier  than  the  noise  of  many  waters — yea,  than 
the  mighty  waves  of  the  sea."  Through  these  many 
centuries  of  failure,  have  we  proved  Him  untrust- 
worthy? Beloved,  is  it  your  honest  conviction 
that  it  is  absolutely  safe  to  trust  the  living  God? 
Then  let  us  make  no  provision  for  Hzs  failure, 
however  much  we  may  have  to  own  that  we  have 
failed !     Let  us  act  as  if  we  really  trusted  Him. 

Pergamos :  the  Church  united  with  the  World. 

(Rev.  ii.  12-17.) 

We  have  seen,  then,  two  main  steps  in  the 
Church's  outward  decline,  after  the  loss  of  first 
love  had  made  any  departure  possible.      First  of 


PERGAMOS.  89 

all,  the  divine  idea  of  the  Church  was  lost.  In-'\ 
stead  of  its  being  a  body  of  people  having,  in  the 
full  and  proper  sense,  eternal  life  and  salvation, 
children  of  God,  members  of  Christ,  and  called  out 
of  the  world  as  not  belonging  to  it,  it  became  a 
mere  ** gathering  together"  of  those  for  whom,  in- 
deed, the  old  names  might  in  part  remain,  but  who  I 
were,  in  fact,  the  world  itself  with  true  Christian  [^ 
people  scattered  through  it.  Children  of  God,  no 
doubt,  they  might  be  by  baptism,*  and  by  it  have 
forgiveness  of  sins  also,  but  that  was  no  settlement 
for  eternity  at  all.  They  were  confessedly  under 
trial,  uncertain  as  to  how  things  would  finally  turn 
out, — a  ground  which  all  the  world  could  under- 
stand and  adopt,  with  sacraments  and  means  of 
grace  to  help  them  on,  and  prevent  them  realizing 
the  awfulness  of  their  position. 

Of  course  this  immense  change  from  Church  to 
synagogue  was  not  at  once  effected.  Yet  the 
church,  historically  known  to  us  outside  of  the 
New  Testament,  is  but  in  fact  essentially  the  syna- 
gogue. The  fire  of  persecution  combined  with  the 
fidelity  of  a  remnant  to  prevent  for  awhile  the  ex- 
treme result,  and  to  separate  mere  professors  from 

*  "  The  prodigal  son  answers,"  saj's  Chrysostom,  in  his  first  homily  on 
Repentance,  "to  those  who  fall  after  baptism:  he  does  so  inasmuch  as  he 
is  called  a  son;  for  none  are  sons  apart  fi'om  baptism,  with  which  are  con- 
nected all  the  benefits  of  heirship,  and  a  community  of  interests  with  the 
family.  He  is  called,  moreover,  the  brother  of  him  who  was  approved; 
but  thei'e  is  no  brotherhood  without  the  spiritual  regeneration  "  (baptism). 

In  another  place:  "Although  a  man  should  be  foul  with  every  vice— the 
blackest  that  can  be  named,  yet,  should  he  fall  into  the  baptismal  pool,  he 
ascends  from  the  divine  waters  purer  than  the  beams  of  noon," 

"As  a  spark  thrown  into  the  ocean  is  instantly  extinguished,  so  is  sin, 
be  it  what  it  may,  extinguished  when  the  man  is  thrown  intoi  the  laver  of 
regeneration." 

I  quote  from  Isaac  Taylor's  "  ^nct«n<  Christianity,"  (Philadelphia  edi- 
tion, pp.  346,  325,  326,)  on  "the  means  of  estimating  the  quality  of  the 
Nicene  theology,"  where  much  else  of  the  same  character  may  be  found. 
It  is  significant  that  the  Nicene  Creed,  with  all  its  Trinitarian  orthodoxy, 
knows  nothing  but  "  one  baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins." 


go  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

the  confessors  of  Christ.     Still,  through  it  all,  the 
leaven  of  Judaism  did  its  deadly  work;    and  no 
sooner    was    the    persecution    stopped    than    the 
world's   overtures   for   peace    and    alliance    were 
eagerly  listened  to,  and  with  Constantine,  for  many, 
the  millennium  seemed  to  have  arrived.  Could  the 
Church  of  the  apostles  have  fallen  into  the  world's 
arms  so?     Their  voice  would   have  rebuked   the 
thought  as  of  Satan,  as  indeed  it  was.     *'  Ye  adul- 
terers and  adulteresses,  know  ye  not  that  the  friend- 
ship of  the  world  is  enmity  with  God?" 
.       The  second  step  we  saw  in  the  rise  of  a  clergy, 
a  special  priestly  class,  replacing  the  true  Christian 
ministry,  the  free  exercise  of  the  various  gifts  re- 
sulting from  the  various  position  of  the  members 
in  the  body  of  Christ.     The  clerical  assumption 
displaced  the  body  of  Christian  people, — now  a  true 
laity, — as  at  least  less  spiritual  and  near  to  God:  a 
'  place,  alas !  easily  accepted  where  Christ  had  lost 
what  the  world  had  gained  in  value  with  His  own. 
As   Judaism   prevailed,   and   the   world   came    in 
through  the  wider-opening  door,  the  distance  be- 
tween the  two  classes  increased,  and  more  and  more 
the  clergy  became  the  channels  of  all  blessing  to  all 
V  the  rest.   Practically,  and  in  the  end  almost  openly, 
;  they  became  the  church ;  and  the  Church  became, 
!  from  a  company  of  those  already  saved,  a  channel 
for    conveying    a    sacramental    and   hypothetical 
'  salvation. 

We  now  come  to  look  at  the  issue  of  all  this 
when  circumstances  favored.  In  Pergamos,  the 
change  in  the  Lord's  position  is  noteworthy  and 
characteristic.  He  presents  Himself  no  longer  in 
the  tender  and  compassionate  way  which  He  ex- 
hibits toward  His  suffering  ones  in  Smyrna.     It  is 


PERGAMOS.  91 

now  "  These  things  saith  He  which  hath  the  sharp 
sword  with  two  edges."  His  word  is  a  word  of 
penetrating  and  decisive  judgment.  It  is  with  this 
two-edged  sword  that  He  by  and  by  smites  the 
nations  (chap,  xix.),  so  that  there  can  be  no  question 
as  to  its  meaning.  And  while  it  is  of  course  true 
that  it  is  not  His  own  at  Pergamos  who  are  smitten 
with  it,  yet  it  is  those  whom  He  charges  them 
with  having  in  their  midst  {v.  16). 

The  characteristic  thing  in  Pergamos  is  that  they 
are  dwelhng  where  Satan's  throne  is.  "  Throne," 
not  merely  ''seat,"  is  the  true  word,  though  our 
translators,  as  it  would  seem,  because  of  the  strength 
of  the  expression,  shrank  from  using  it.  To  what 
it  referred  in  the  actual  city,  no  commentator  can 
tell  us.  Trench  remarks,  "Why  it  should  have  thus 
deserved  the  name  of  ^Satans  throne^  so  emphati- 
cally repeated  a  second  time  at  the  end  of  this 
verse — '  ivJicre  Satan  dwelleth^  must  remain  one  of 
the  unsolved  riddles  of  these  epistles."  But  did  the 
Lord  bid  him  that  hath  an  ear  to  hear  what  must 
remain  an  unsolved  riddle  ?  Assuredly  not.  It  is 
one  of  the  characteristics  of  the  prophetic  view  in 
these  epistles,  that  it  delivers  one  from  the  neces- 
sity of  waiting  until  some  archaeologist  shall  be 
found  who  can  explain  -such  things,  and  gives  us 
one  for  our  profit  both  clear  and  satisfactory,  de- 
rived from  Scripture  itself.  But  not  only  so.  The 
practical  worth  of  the  archaeologic  rendering  would 
be  very  likely  little,  if  it  could  be  gained.  Of  what 
value  would  it  be  if  we  believed  with  Grotius  that 
this  expression  had  reference  to  the  worship  of 
^sculapius,  whose  symbol  was  a  serpent  ?  Surely 
of  very  little.  Whereas  the  prophetic  view  flashes 
light  upon  the  whole  condition. 


92  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

Satan  reigns  in  hell,  according  to  the  popular 
belief ;  and  Milton's  picture,  while  it  reflects  this, 
has  done  much  to  confirm  and  make  it  vivid.  But 
hell  is  a  place  of  punishment,  and  Scripture  is  quite 
plain  that  he  is  not  confined  there.  Then  he  must 
have  broken  loose,  is  the  idea.  God's  prison  was 
not  strong  enough !  One  might  ask.  How  do  we 
know,  then,  it  will  ever  be?  Think  of  the  govern- 
ment which  allows  the  chief  malefactor  to  reign  in 
his  prison  over  those  less  evil  than  himself,  and  to 
break  prison,  and  roam  freely  where  he  will !  God's 
government  is  not  chargeable  with  this.  In  hell, 
'  Satan  will  be,  not  king,  but  lowest  and  most  miser- 
able there;  and  once  committed  to  it,  no  escape 
will  be  permitted.  But  this  will  not  be  till  after  the 
i^  millennium,  as  Rev.  xx.  assures  us. 

But  this  idea  permits  people  to  escape  from  the 
thought — an  appalling  one,  no  doubt, — that  he  is 
still  what  the  Lord  designates  him — *'  prince  of  this 
world:''  "the  prince  of  this  world  cometh,  and 
hath  nothing  in  Me." 

True,  He  does  speak  so,  some  one  may  suggest; 
but  does  He  not  also  say,  when  predicting  the  effect 
of  His  cross,  "  Now  shall  the  prince  of  this  world 
be  cast  out"?  has  he  not,  then,  been  cast  out  of  his 
kingdom?  and  are  we  not  ''translated  into  the 
kingdom  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ"? 

The  latter  is  true ;  but  as  to  the  former,  the  Lord 
only  predicts  the  certain  effect  of  the  cross,  and  the 
"■  now  "  simply  declares  it  to  be  the  effect.  Here 
one  startling  expression  of  the  apostle  Paul,  going 
beyond  even  that  which  the  Lord  uses,  is  decisive 
as  to  the  matter;  he  calls  the  devil — long  after  the 
cross — "  the  god  of  this  world  "  (2  Cor.  iv.  4). 

And  indeed  the  expression  is  stronger  even  than 


PERGAMOS.  93 

this.  For  the  margin  of  the  Revised  Version  isfj^J/'^ 
assuredly  right,  and  it  is  ^the  word  "age,"  not 
"  world,"  which  the  apostle  uses.  •''  The  god  of  this 
age "  is  surely  a  very  solemn  title  to  be  given  to 
Satan  after  the  Christian  dispensation,  as  we  call  it, 
had  already  begun.  Yet  there  it  stands;  andi 
"Scripture  cannot  be  broken." 

Yes,  it  is  over  the  world,  and  in  these  Christian 
times,  that  Satan  exercises  this  terrible  sway,  and 
this  is  what  makes  the  expression  here,  "dwelling 
where  Satan's  throne  is,"  so  sadly  significant. 

For  ''dwelling  in  the  world"  is  another  thing 
from  being  in  it.  We  are  in  the  world  perforce,  and 
in  no  wise  responsible  for  that,  but  to  be  a  divelkr 
in  it  is  a  moral  state :  it  is  to  be  a  citizen  of  it,  the 
condition  which  the  apostle  speaks  of  in  Phihppians 
as  obtaining  among  professing  Christians:  "For 
many  walk,  of  whom  I  have  told  you  before,  and 
now  tell  you  even  weeping,  that  they  are  the 
enemies  of  the  cross  of  Christ ;  whose  god  is  their 
belly,  whose  glory  is  in  their  shame,  who  mind 
earthly  things:  for  our  citizenship  is  in  heaven, 
from  whence  we  look  for  the  Saviour,  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ." 

Their  characteristic  is  that  they  are  enemies,  not 
of  Christ  personally,  but  of  the  cross — that  cross  by 
which  we  are  crucified  to  the  world  and  the  world 
to  us.  Their  hearts  were  on  earthl]^  things,  which, 
not  satisfying  them,  as  earthly  things  cannot,  made 
their  god  to  be  their  belly ;  their  inward  craving 
became  their  master,  and  made  them  drudge  in  its 
service. 

The  Christian's  citizenship  is  in  heaven.  That  / 
^delivers  him  from  the  unsatisfying  pursuit  of  I 
fearthly  things.    But  little  indeed  is  this  understood  » 


94  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

now.  Even  where  people  can  talk  and  sing  of  the 
world  being  a  wilderness,  you  will  find  that  in 
general  the  idea  is  rather  of  the  sorrows  and  trials 
of  which  the  world  is  full,  and  which  Christians  are 
exposed  to  like  the  men  of  the  world  themselves. 
*'  Man  is  born  to  trouble  as  the  sparks  fly  upward ; " 
and  pilgrimage  in  their  minds  is  a  thing  perforce. 
The  world  passes  away,  and  they  cannot  keep  it ; 
so  they  are  glad  to  think  that  heaven  is  at  the  end. 
In  the  meanwhile,  they  go  on  trying  (honestly,  no 
doubt,  if  you  can  call  such  a  thing  honest  in  a 
Christian,)  to  get  as  much  of  it  as  they  can,  or  at 
least  as  much  as  will  make  them  comfortable 
in  it. 

V  But  a  pilgrim  is  not  one  whom  the  world  is  leav- 
ing, but  who  is  leaving  it.     Otherwise  the  whole 

i  world  would  be  pilgrims,  as  indeed  they  talk  about 
the  ''pilgrimage  of  life."  But  this  is  the  abuse  of 
the  term,  and  not  its  use.  We  can  be  pilgrims  in 
this  sense,  and  find  all  the  world  companions;  and 
such,  in  fact,  had  got  to  be  the  idea  of  pilgrimage 
in  the  Pergamos  state  of  the  Church.  They 
talked  of  it,  no  doubt,  and  built  their  houses 
the  more  solidly  to  stand  the  rough  weather. 
God  said  they  were  dwelling  where  Satan's 
throne   was. 

It  was  the  history  of  old  Babel  repeating  itself. 
You  may  find  the  vivid  type  of  it  in  Gen.  xi.,  where 
men  ''journeyed,"  indeed,  but  not  as  pilgrims,  or 
only  as  that  till  they  could  find  some  smooth  spot 
to  settle  down  in.  They  "journeyed,"  as  colonists 
or  immigrants  on  the  look-out  for  land ;  from  the 
rough  hills  beyond  the  flood,  where  human  life  be- 
gan ;  "  from  the  east " — with  their  backs,  that  is, 
toward    the    blessed    dawn;    "and    they   found   a 


PERGAMOS.  95 

plain  in  the  land  of  Shinar,  and  they  dwelt  tJicrey 
Such  was,  alas  !  the  Church's  progress — from  the 
rough  heights  of  martyrdom  down  to  the  level 
plain  where  there  were  no  difficulties  to  deter  the 
most  timid  souls.  There  the  Church  multiplied, 
and  there  they  began  to  ''  build  a  city,  and  a  tower 
whose  top  should  reach  to  heaven."  But  ''a  city" 
was  not  Jerusalem,  but  Jerusalem's  constant  enemy; 
not  the  ''possession  of  peace,"  but  a  city  of  "con- 
fusion " — Babel. 

Yet  it  prospered:  they  built  well.  True,  they 
were  away  from  the  quarries  of  the  hills,  and  could 
not  build  with  the  "stone"  they  had  there  been 
used  to.  They  did  what  they  could  with  the  clay 
which  was  native  in  that  lower  land.  "  They  had 
bricks  for  stone,  and  bitumen  for  mortar."  We 
have  seen  some  of  this  work  already.  It  looks  well, 
and  lasts  in  the  fine  climate  of  these  regions  quite  a 
longtime:  human  material,  not  divine, — "bricks," 
man's  manufacture,  "for  stones,"  God's  material. 
They  cannot  build  great  Babylon  with  the  "  living 
stones"  of  God's  producing.  Man-made  Christians, 
compacted  together,  not  by  the  cementing  of  the 
Spirit  for  eternity,  but  by  the  human  motives  and 
influences  whereby  the  masses  are  affected,  but 
which  the  fire  of  God  will  one  day  try.  So  is  great 
Babylon  built. 

Now  it  is  remarkable  that  the  word  "  Pergamos" 
has  a  double  significance.  In  the  plural  form,  it  is 
used  for  the  "  citadel  of  a  town,"  while  it  is  at  least 
near  akin  to  purgos,  "a  tower."  Again,  divide  it 
into  the  two  words  into  which  it  naturally  sepa- 
rates, and  you  have  per,  "although,"  a  particle 
which  "usually  serves  to  call  attention  to  some- 
thing which   is    objected    to"  (Liddell   &   Scott), 


96  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

and  gamos,  ''marriage."  Pergamos, — "a  marriage 
though." 

It  was  indeed  by  the  marriage  of  the  Church  and 
the  world  that  the  "city  and  tower"  of  Babylon 
the  Great  was  raised ;  and  such  are  the  times  we 
are  now  to  contemplate. 

Before  we  proceed,  however,  let  us  to  this  double 
proof  unite  another,  that  the  threefold  cord  may 
not  be  broken.  The  parallel  between  the  first  ad- 
dresses to  the  churches  and  the  first  four  parables 
of  the  kingdom  in  Matthew  xiii.  I  have  referred  to 
before.  The  first  parable  gives  the  partial  failure 
of  the  good  seed,  as  Ephesus  gives  the  initial  fail- 
ure of  the  true  Church.  The  second  parable  gives 
the  direct  work  of  the  enemy — the  tares  sown 
among  the  wheat,  as  the  address  to  Smyrna  does 
the  "  synagogue  of  Satan."  But  the  tares  and  wheat 
are  separate,  and  the  view  is,  in  the  first  two  para- 
bles, an  individual  one ;  the  third  parable  is  entirely 
different  in  this  respect.  Ofie  seed  stands  here  for 
the  whole  sowing,  and  what  is  seen  is  now  the 
aspect  of  the  whole  together.  The  little  mustard- 
seed  produces,  strange  to  say,  a  tree,  in  which  the 
birds  of  the  heaven  lodge,  and  the  tree  is  a  type  of 
worldly  power.  Turn  to  the  fourth  chapter  of 
Daniel,  and  you  will  find  in  Nebuchadnezzar,  king 
of  Babylon,  such  a  tree.  Surely  it  is  significant 
that  in  every  direction  in  which  we  look  from  here 
there  is  a  finger-post  which  points  to  Babylon! 
And  here  in  Pergamos,  as  in  the  mustard-tree,  it  is 
the  Church  as  a  whole  which  is  spoken  of.  It  is 
established,  as  men  triumphantly  say:  it  is  fallen 
is  the  lament  from  heaven. 

For  this  is  not  the  Church's  establishment  upon 
its  Rock-foundation,  where  the  gates  of  hades  can- 


PERGAMOS.  97 

not  prevail  against  it,  but  in  the  world's  favor;  and 
if  Satan  be  the  prince  of  this  world,  what  must  be 
the  price  of  this? 

As  a  consequence,  we  find  not  only  Nicolaitanism 
fully  accepted,  but  the  doctrine  of  Balaam  also. 
They  are  still  what  is  called  "orthodox."  ''Thou 
boldest  fast  My  name,  and  hast  not  denied  My  faith, 
even  in  those  days  wherein  Antipas  was  My  faith- 
ful witness,  who  was  slain  among  you  where  Satan 
dwelleth."  For  these  are  the  Nicene  times,  the 
time  of  the  first  Christian  council  called  (at  Niccea) 
by  a  Roman  emperor,  and  which  maintained  the 
deity  of  Christ  against  Arianism.  It  was  a  sight, 
they  said,  to  see  at  the  council  the  marks  of  the 
confession  of  Christ  in  those  who  had  endured  the 
late  persecutions.  The  Nicene  period  was  that  of 
two,  at  least,  of  the  creeds"  substantially  acknowl- 
edged by  the  faith  of  Christians  every  where  since. 
But  theirs  was  an  orthodoxy  which,  while  main- 
taining (thank  God !)  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity, 
could  be  and  was  very  far  astray  as  to  the  applica- 
tion of  Christ's  blessed  work  to  the  salvation  of 
men.  Orthodox  as  to  Christ,  it  was  yet  most  un^ 
orthodox  as  to  the  gospel. 

Where  in  the  Apostles'  Creed,  so  called,  do  you' 
find  the  gospel.  "The  forgiveness  of  sins"  is  an 
article  of  belief,  no  doubt,  but  how  and  when?  In 
the  Nicene  creed  is  acknowledged  "one  baptism  for 
the  remission  of  sins,"  but  there  is  entire  silence  as 
to  any  other.  In  the  Athanasian,  it  is  owned  Christ 
"  suffered  for  our  salvation,"  but  how  we  are  to 
obtain  the  salvation  for  which  He  suffered  is  again 
omitted.  Practically,  the  belief  of  the  times  was  in 
the  efficacy  of  baptism,  and  so  painful  and  uncertain 
was  the  way  of   forgiveness   for  sins   committed 


98  PRESENT  THINGS,  ETC. 

afterward,  that  multitudes  deferred  baptism  to  a 
dying  bed,  that  the  sins  of  a  lifetime  might  be  more 
easily  washed  away  together. 

The  Lord  goes  on  to  say,  "  But  I  have  a  few 
things  against  thee,  because  thou  hast  there  them 
which  hold  the  doctrine  of  Balaam,  who  taught 
Balak  to  cast  a  trap  before  the  children  of  Israel, 
to  eat  things  sacrificed  to  idols,  and  to  commit 
fornication." 

Balaam,  the  destroyer  of  the  people,  is  a  new  graft 
upon  Nicolaitanism.  A  prophet,  in  outward  near- 
ness to  the  Lord,  while  his  heart  went  after  its  own 
covetousness, — a  man  having  no  personal  grudge 
against  the  people,  but  whose  god  was  his  belly, 
and  so  would  curse  them  if  his  god  bade: — one 
whose  doctrine  was  to  seduce  Israel  from  their 
separateness  into  guilty  mixture  with  the  nations 
and  their  idolatry  round  about.  The  type  is  easily 
read,  and  the  examples  of  it  distressingly  numerous. 
When  the  Church  and  the  world  become  on  good 
terms  with  one  another,  and  the  Church  has  the 
things  of  the  world  with  which  to  attract  the  natu- 
ral heart,  the  hireling  prophet  is  a  matter  of  course, 
who  for  his  own  ends  will  seek  to  destroy  whatever 
remains  of  godly  separateness. 

It  is  one  step  only  in  the  general,  persistent 
departure  from  God  never  retraced  and  never 
repented  of.  Solemn  to  say,  however  much  in- 
dividuals may  be  delivered,  such  decline  is  never 
recovered  from  by  the  body  as  such.  At  every 
step  downward,  the  progress  down  is  only  acceler- 
ated. "  Have  ye  offered  Me  slain  beasts  and  sacri- 
fices by  the  space  of  forty  years  in  the  wilderness? 
Yea,  ye  took  up  the  tabernacle  of  Moloch,  and  the 


PERGAMOS.  99 

star  of  your  god  Remphan,  figures  which  ye  made 
to  worship  them  ;  and  1  will  carry  you  away  beyond 
Babylon.  There  were  many  reformations  afterward, 
more  or  less  partial,  but  no  fresh  start. 

So  with  the  Church.  Men  talk  of  another  Pen- 
tecost. There  never  was  another.  And  the  first 
lasted  for  how  brief  a  season!  "Unto  thee,  good- 
ness, if  thou  continue  in  His  goodness;  otherwise 
thou  also  shalt  be  cut  off.' 

From  Constantine's  day  to  the  present,  world 
and  Church  have  been  united  in  Christendom  at 
large ;  and  wherever  this  is  found,  there  in  truth  is 
Babylon,  though  Rome  be  the  head  of  Babylon, 
as  indeed  she  is. 

Let  us  look  about  us  with  the  lamp  the  Lord  has 
given  us,  and  see  whereabouts  we  are  with  regard 
to  these  things.  How  far  are  we  individually  keep- 
ing the  Church  and  the  world  separate?  How  far 
are  we  really  refusing  that  yoke  with  unbelievers 
which  the  passage  in  2  Cor.  vi.  so  emphatically 
condemns?  Our  associations  are  judged  of  God  as 
surely  as  any  other  part  of  our  practical  conduct ; 
and  "Be  not  unequally  yoked  together  with  unbe- 
Hevers"  is  His  word.  He  cannot,  He  declares,  be 
to  us  a  Father  as  He  would,  except  we  come  out 
and  be  separate!  Solemn,  solemn  words  in  the 
midst  of  the  multiplicity  of  such  confederacies  in 
the  present  day!  Can  we  bear  to  be  ourselves 
searched  out  by  them,  beloved  brethren?  Oh,  it 
we  value  our  true  place  as  sons  with  God,  shall  we 
not  be  only  glad  to  see  things  as  they  are  ? 

Now  this  "yoke"  forbidden  has  variou^  applica- 
tions. It  applies  to  any  thing  in  which  we  volun- 
tarily unite  with  others  to  attain  a  common  object. 
Among  social  relations,  marriage  is  such  a  yoke ; 


TOO  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

in  business  relations,  partnerships  and  such  like; 
and  in  the  foremost  rank  of  all  would  come  eccle- 
siastical associations. 

To  take  these  latter,  now :  There  are  certain  sys- 
tems which,  as  we  have  already  seen,  mix  up  the 
Church  and  the  world  in  the  most  thorough  way 
possible.  All  forms  of  ritualism  do : — forms  where- 
in a  person  is  made  by  baptism  "  a  member  of  Christ 
and  a  child  of  God."  Where  that  is  asserted,  sep- 
aration is  impossible ;  for  no  amount  of  charity,  and 
no  extravagance  of  theological  fiction,  can  make 
the  mass  of  these  baptized  people  other  than  the 
world. 

All  national  churches  in  the  same  way  mix  them 
up  by  the  very  fact  that  they  are  national  churches. 
You  cannot  by  the  force  of  will  or  act  of  parliament 
make  a  nation  Christian.  You  can  give  them  a 
name  to  live,  while  they  are  dead.  You  can  make 
them  formalists  and  hypocrites,  but  nothing  more. 
You  can  do  your  best  to  hide  from  them  their  true 
condition,  and  leave  them  under  an  awful  delusion, 
from  which  eternity  alone  may  wake  them  up. 
That  is  much  to  do  indeed,  and  it  is  all  in  this  way 
possible. 

All  systems  Jewish  in  character  mix  them  up  of 
necessity.  Where  all  are  probationers  together,  it 
is  not  possible  to  do  otherwise.  All  systems  in 
which  the  church  is  made  a  means  to  salvation, 
instead  of  the  company  of  the  saved,  necessarily  do 
so.  When  people  join  churches  in  order  to  be 
saved,  as  is  the  terrible  fashion  of  the  day,  these 
churches  i)ecome  of  course  the  common  receptacle 
of  sinners  and  saints  aUke.  And  wherever  assur- 
ance of  salvation  is  not  maintained,  the  same  thing 
must  needs  result. 


PERGAMOS.  lOI 

Systems  such  as  these  naturally  acquire,  and 
rapidly,  adherents,  money,  and  worldly  influence ; 
and  among  such,  the  doctrine  of  Balaam  does  its  , 
deadly  work.  The  world,  not  even  disguised  in  '^^ 
the  garb  of  Christianity,  is  sought,  for  the  sake  of  i  • 
material  support.  Men  that  have  not  given  them-  f^ 
selves  to  the  Lord  are  taught  that  they  can  give 
their  money.  It  is  openly  proclaimed  that  God  is 
not  sufficient  as  His  people's  portion.  His  cause 
requires  help,  and  that  so  much,  that  He  will  accept 
it  from  the  hands  of  His  very  enemies.  There  is 
an  idolatry  of  means  abroad.  Money  will  help  the 
destitute ;  money  will  aid  to  circulate  the  Scripture ; 
money  will  send  missionaries  to  foreign  parts; 
money  will  supply  a  hundred  wants,  and  get  over 
a  host  of  difficulties.  We  are  going  to  put  it  to  so 
good  a  use,  we  must  not  be  over-scrupulous  as  to 
the  mode  of  getting  it.  The  church  has  to  be 
maintained,  the  minister  to  be  paid.  They  do  not 
like  the  principles  that  "the  end  sanctifies  the 
means" — but  still,  what  are  they  to  do?  God  is  in 
theory  of  course  sufficient,  but  they  must  use  the 
means,  and  the  nineteenth  century  no  longer 
expects  miracles. 

But  why  go  over  the  dreary  round  of  such  god- 
less and  faithless  arguments?  Is  it  a  wonder  that 
infidelity  bursts  out  into  a  triumphant  laugh  as 
Christians  maintain  the  impotence  of  their  God, 
and  violate  His  precepts  to  save  His  cause  from 
ruin?  Nay,  do  you  not  in  fact  proclaim  it  ruined 
— irredeemably,  irrecoverably  ruined,  when  His 
ear  is  already  too  dull  to  hear,  and  His  arm 
shortened  that  it  cannot  save? 

Money  will  build  churches,  will  buy  Bibles,  will) 
support  ministers, — true.     Will  it  buy  a  new  Pen-] 


r 


1 02  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

tecost?  or  bring  in  the  millennium?  Will  you 
bribe  the  blessed  Spirit  to  work  for  you  thus?  or 
make  sheer  will  and  animal  energy  do  without 
Him?  Alas!  you  pray  for  power,  and  dishonor 
Him  who  is  the  only  source  of  power! 

But  what  is  the  result  of  this  solicitation  of  the 

world  ?    Can  you  go  to  it  with  the  Bibles  you  have 

bought  with  its  own  money,  and  tell  it  the  truth  as 

to  its  own  condition?    Can  you  tell  them  that  "the 

whole  world  lieth  in  wickedness"? — that  "all  that 

is  in  the  world — the  lust  of  the  flesh,  and  the  lust 

of  the  eyes,  and  the  pride  of  life — is  not  of  the 

Father,  but  is  of  the  world"?     Can  you  maintain 

the  separate  place  that  God  has  given  you,  and 

the  sharp  edge  of  the  truth  that  "  they  that  are  in 

the  flesh  cannot  please  God"?      Of   course   you 

I   cannot.     They  will  turn  round  upon  you  and  say, 

I  ijj/"  Why,  then,  do  you  come  to  us  for  our  money? 

**^^j  You  ask  us  to  give,  and  tell  us  it  will  not  please 

Him  our  giving!     It  is  not  reasonable:  we  do  not 

1  believe  it,  and  you  cannot  believe  it  yourselves ! " 

No:  the  world  does  not  believe  in  giving  some- 

^     •    thing  for  nothing.      Whatever  the  Word  of  God 

f^/^  may  say,  whatever  you   may  think  of  it  in  your 

1^^^    heart,  you  must  compromise  in  some  way.     You 

must   not   maintain    the    rigid    line   of  separation. 

kj^  Balaam  must  be  your  prophet.     You  must  mix 

^     .,   with  the  world,  and  let  it  mix  with  you ;  how  else 

jtj^will  you   do  it  good?      You  must  cushion   your 

church-seats,  and  invite  it  in.   You  must  make  your 

building  and  your  services  attractive:   you  must 

not  frighten  people  away,  but  allure  them  in.   You 

must  be  all  things  to  all  men ;  and  as  you  cannot 

expect  to  get  them  up  to  your  standard,  you  must 

get  down  to  theirs.    Do  I  vSpeak  too  strongly?   Oh, 


PERGAMOS.  103 

words  can  hardly  exaggerate  the  state  of  things 
that  may  be  every-where  found,  not  in  some  far-off 
land,  but  here  all  around  us  in  the  present  day.     I 
should  not  dare  to  tell  you  what  deeds  are  done  in  tfU^ 
the  name  of  Christ  by  His  professing  people.   They 
will  hire  singers  to  sing  His  praises  for  admiration,    Z^ 
and  to  draw  a  crowd.     They  will  provide  worldly    ' 
entertainments,  and  sit  down  and  be  entertained      ^ 
in  company.     And  as  more  and  more  they  sink 
down  to  the  world's  level,  they  persuade  them- 
selves the  world  is  rising  up  to  theirs;  while  God 
is  saying,  as  of  His  people  of  old,  "  Ephraim,  he 
hath  mixed  himself  among  the  people:  Ephraim  is 
a  cake  not  turned.     Strangers  have  devoured  his 
strength,  and  he  knoweth  it  not, — yea,  gray  hairs 
are  here  and  there  upon  him,  yet  he  knoweth  it 
not.     And  the  pride  of  Israel  testifieth  to  his  face ; 
and  they  do  not  return  to  the  Lord  their  God,  nor 
seek  Him  for  all  this"  (Hos.  vii.  8-10). 

It  is  a  downward  course,  and  being  trod  at  an 
ever-increasing  pace.  Competition  is  aroused,  and 
it  is  who  can  be  the  most  successful  candidate  for 
the  world's  favors.  The  example  of  one  emboldens 
another.  Emulation,  envy,  ambition,  and  a  host  of 
unholy  motives  are  aroused;  and  Scripture,  the 
honor  of  Christ,  the  jealous  eyes  of  a  holy,  holy 
God — ah,  you  are  antiquated  and  pharisaic  if  you  J 
talk  of  these. 

There  is  one  feature  in  this  melancholy  picture  | 
I  cannot  pass  by  briefly  thus.  T/ie  mintstrj,  or 
what  stands  before  men's  eyes  as  such,  how  is  it 
affected  by  all  this?  I  have  already  said  thatj 
Scripture  does  not  recognize  the  thought  of  a  min- 
ister and  his  people.  Upon  this  I  do  not  intend  to 
dwell  again.     But  what,  after  all,  in  the  present'' 


104  PRESENT  THINGS,  ETC. 

day  has  got  to  be  the  strength  of  the  tie  between  a 
church  and  its  ministry?     Who  that  looks  around 

fjf^  can  question  that  money  has  here  a  controlling  in- 
J^vfluence?    The  seal  of  the  compact  is  the  salary.   A 

«'^*^  rich  church  with  an  ample  purse,  can  it  not  make 
reasonably  sure  of  attracting  the  man  it  wants? 

\  The  poor  church,  however  rich  in  piety,  is  it  not 

»     .conscious  of  its  deficiency?     People  naturally  do 

t^A^^  not  like  to  own  it.  They  persuade  themselves, 
successfully  enough,  no  doubt,  that  it  is  a  wider 
and  more  promising  field  of  labor  that  attracts 
them.  But  the  world  notoriously  does  not  believe 
this ;  and  it  has  but  too  good  reason  for  its  unbelief. 

iThe  contract  is  ordinarily  for  so  much  money. 
If  the  money  is  not  forthcoming,  the  contract  is 
^4 dissolved.     But   more,   the   money    consideration 
,^^       decides  in  another  way  the  character  of  man  they 
wish  to  secure.     It  is  ordinarily  a  successful  man 
that  is  wanted,  after  the  fashionable  idea  of  what  is 
J^.-  success.   They  want  a  man  who  will  fill  the  church, 
f^       perhaps  help  to  pay  off  the  debt  upon  it.     Very 
..J,.'' likely  the  payment  of  his  own  salary  depends  upon 
^      this.     He  will  not  be  likely  most  to  please  who  is  not 
influenced  by  such  motives ;  and  thus  it  will  be  only 
God's  mercy  if  Balaam's  doctrine  does  not  secure 
a  Balaam  to  carry  it  out.    But  even  if  a  godly  man 
is  obtained,  he  is  put  under  the  influence  of  the 
strongest  personal  temptation  to  soften  down  the 
truth,  which,  if  fully  preached,  may  deprive  him  of 
not  only  influence,  but  perhaps  even  subsistence. 

Will  the  most  godly  man  be  the  most  popular 
man?  No;  for  godliness  is  not  what  the  world 
seeks.  It  can  appreciate  genius,  no  doubt,  and  elo- 
quence, and  amiability,  and  benevolence,  and  utili- 
tarianism ;  but  godliness  is  something  different  from 


PERGAMOS.  105 

the  union  of  even  all  of  these.  If  the  world  can 
appreciate  godliness,  I  will  own  indeed  it  is  no 
longer  the  world.  But  as  long  as  the  lust  of  the 
flesh  and  the  lust  of  the  eyes  and  the  pride  of  life 
still  characterize  it,  it  is  not  of  the  Father,  nor  the 
Father  of  it.  And  then,  why  in  that-  passage  does 
the  apostle  say  *'the  Father''?  Is  it  not  because  in 
thinking  of  the  Father's  relation  to  the  world,  we 
must  needs  think  of  the  Son  f  As  he  says  again  in 
another  place,  "  Who  is  he  that  overcometh  the 
world,  but  he  that  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Son 
of  God? "  And  why  ?  Because  it  is  the  Son  of 
God  the  world  has  crucified  and  cast  out ;  and  that 
the  cross,  which  was  the  world's  judgment  of  the 
Son  of  God,  is,  for  faith,  God's  judgment  of  the 
world. 

Was  Christ  popular,  beloved  friends?  Could  He, 
with  divine  power  in  His  hands  and  ministering  it 
freely  for  the  manifold  need  appealing  to  Him  on 
every  side, — could  He  commend  Himself  to  men 
His  creatures?  No,  assuredly.  But  you  think 
perhaps  those  pecuharly  evil  times :  they  under- 
stand Him  better  now,  you  think.  Take,  then.  His 
dear  name  with  you  to  men's  places  of  business 
and  to  their  homes  to-day,  to  the  workshop  and 
the  counting-houses,  and  the  public  places — do  you 
doubt  what  response  you  would  get?  ^t^JiV 

"In  the  churches?"     Oh,  yes,  they  have  agreed   -    t 
to  tolerate  Him  there.     The  churches  have  been 
carefully  arranged  to  please  the  world.     Comfort-    ^ 
able,  fashionable,  the  poor  packed   in   convenient 
corners,  eye  and  ear  and  intellect  provided  for: 
that  is  a  different  thing.    i\nd  then  it  helps  to  quiet  \^ 
conscience  when  it  will  sometimes  stir.     But  oh, 
beloved,  is  there  much  sign  of  His  presence  whose 


< 


I06  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

own  sign  was, ''  To  the  poor  the  gospel  is  preached  "  ? 
Enough  of  this,  however;  it  will  be  neither 
pleasure  nor  profit  to  pursue  it  further.  But  to 
those  with  whom  the  love  of  Christ  is  more  than  a 
profession,  and  the  honor  of  Christ  a  reality  to  be 
maintained,  I  would  solemnly  put  it  how  they  can 
go  on  with  what  systematically  tramples  His  honor 
underfoot,  yea,  under  the  world's  foot, — falsifies 
His  gospel,  and  helps  to  deceive  to  their  own  de- 
struction the  souls  for  whom  He  died.  The  doc- 
trine of  Balaam  is  every  where :  its  end  is  judgment 
upon  the  world,  and  judgment  too  upon  the  people 
of  God.  If  ministers  cannot  be  supported,  if 
churches  cannot  be  kept  up  without  this,  the  hon- 
estest,  manliest,  only  Christian  course  is,  let  the 
thing  go  down !  If  Christians  cannot  get  on  with- 
!  out  the  world,  they  will  find  at  least  that  the  world 
\  can  get  on  without  them.  They  cannot  persuade 
it  that  disobedience  is  such  a  serious  thing  when 
they  see  the  light-hearted,  flippant  disobedience  of 
which  it  is  so  easy  to  convict  the  great  mass  of 
professors,  while  it  is  so  utterly  impossible  to  deter 
them  from  it.  ''  Money  "  is  the  cry  ;  "  well,  but  we 
1  want  the  money."  Aye,  though  Christ's  honor  is 
betrayed  by  it,  and  infidels  sneer,  and  souls  perish. 
Brethren,  the  very  Pharisees  of  old  were  wiser! 
"■  We  may  not  put  it  into  the  treasury^'  they  whisp- 
ered, ''because  it  is  the  price  of  bloodr 

It  will  be  a  relief  to  turn  to  Scripture,  and  to 

examine  what  we  have  there  upon  this  subject. 

\  It  is  very  simple.      There  was  no  organized  ma- 

j  chinery  for  supporting  churches ;  none  for  paying 

1  ministers ;  no  promise,  no  contract  upon  the  peo- 

i  pie's  part,  as  to  any  sum  they  were  to  receive  at  all. 
There  were  necessities,  of  course,   many,  to  be 


PERGAMOS.  107 

provided  for,  and  it  was  understood  that  there  was 
to  be  provision.      The  saints  themselves  had  to 
meet  all.      They  had  not  taken  up  with  a  cheap 
religion.     Having  often  to  lay  down  their  lives  for 
it,  they  did  not  think  much  of  their  goods.     The 
principle  was  this:  "Every  man  as  he  is  disposed 
in  his  heart,  so  let  him  give ;  not  grudgingly,  or  of 
necessity;   for  God  loveth  a  cheerful  giver."      It 
was  to  be  to  God,  and  before  God.     There  was  to; 
be  no  blazoning  it  out  to  brethren,  still  less  before' 
the  world.      He  that  gave,  was  not  to  let  his  left\ 
hand  know  what  his  right  hand  was  doing. 

It  is  true  there  were  solemn  motives  to  enforce 
it.  On  the  one  side,  ''he  that  soweth  sparingly 
shall  reap  also  sparingly,  and  he  that  soweth  boun- 
tifully shall  reap  also  bountifully  ;  "  but  on  the  other, 
side,  most  powerful,  most  influential  of  all,  was 
this:  "  Ye  know  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
who,  though  He  was  rich,  yet  for  your  sakes  be- 
came poor,  that  ye  through  His  poverty  might 
become  rich." 

Such  was  the  principle,  such  was  to  be  the 
motive.  There  was  no  compulsory  method  of 
extraction  if  this  failed.  If  there  was  not  heart  to 
give,  it  was  no  use  to  extract. 

So  as  to  the  laborer  in  the  Word, — it  was  very 
clearly  announced,  and  that  as  what  God  had  or- 
dained, that  "they  which  preach  the  gospel  should 
live  of  the  gospel,"  and  that  "the  laborer  is  worthy 
of  his  hire."  But  although  here  also  God  used  the  j 
willing  hands  of  His  people,  it  was  not  understood  ' 
that  tJiey  "  hired  "  him,  or  that  he  was  their  laborer. 
What  they  gave,  it  was  to  God  they  gave  it,  and 
Jiis  privilege  was  to  be  Christ's  servant.  His  re- 
sponsibility was  to  the  Lord,  and  theirs  also.    They^ 


I08  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

did  not  understand  that  they  were  to  get  so  much 
work  for  so  much  money.  They  did  not  pay,  but 
'' offered!'  There  is  a  wonderful  difference;  for 
you  cannot ''  pay  "  God,  and  you  do  not  "  offer"  (in 
this  sense  of  offering,)  to  man.  The  moment  you 
pay,  God  is  out  of  the  question. 

Do  you  think  this  is  perhaps  a  little  unfair  on 
both  sides?  that  it  is  right  that  there  should  be 
something  more  of  an  equivalent  for  the  labor 
he  bestows, — for  the  money  you  give?  That  is 
good  law,  bad  gospel.  What  better  than  simony  is 
it  to  suppose  after  this  fashion — "  that  the  gift  of 
God  can  be  purchased  with  money"?  Would  you 
rather  make  your  own  bargain  than  trust  Christ's 
grace  to  minister  to  your  need  ?  or  is  it  hard  for 
him  that  he  who  ministers  the  Word  should  show 
his  practical  trust  in  the  Word  by  looking  to  the 
Lord  for  his  support?  Ah,  to  whom  could  he  look 
so  well?  and  how  much  better  off  would  he  be  for 
losing  the  sweet  experience  of  His  care? 

No ;  it  is  all  unbelief  in  divine  power  and  love, 
and  machinery  brought  in  to  make  up  for  the  want 
of  it.  And  yet  if  there  is  not  this,  what  profit  is 
there  of  keeping  up  the  empty  profession  of  it  ?  If 
God  can  fail,  let  the  whole  thing  go  together;  if 
He  cannot,  then  your  skillful  contrivances  are  only 
the  exhibition  of  rank  unbelief. 

And  what  do  you  accomplish  by  it?  You  bring 
in  the  Canaanite  (the  merchantman)  into  the  house 
of  the  Lord.  You  offer  a  premium  to  the  trader  in 
divine  things, — the  man  who  most  values  your 
money  and  least  cares  for  your  souls.  You  cannot 
but  be  aware  how  naturally  those  two  extremes 
associate  together,  and  you  cannot  but  own  that  if 
you  took  the  Lord's  plan,  and  left  His  laborers  to 


PERGAMOS.  109 

look  to  Him  for  their  support,  you  would  do  more 
to  weed  out  such  traffickers  than  by  all  your  care 
and  labor  otherwise.  Stop  the  hire,  and  you  will] 
banish  the  hirehngs,  and  the  blessed  ministry  of' 
Christ  will  be  freed  from  an  incubus  and  a  reproach  ^ 
which  your  contracts  and  bargainings  are  largely  I 
responsible  for. 

And  if  Christ's  servants  cannot  after  all. trust 
Him,  let  them  seek  out  some  honest  occupation 
where  they  may  gain  their  bread  without  scandal. 
In  the  fifteenth  century  before  Christ,  God  brought 
out  a  whole  nation  out  of  Egypt,  and  maintained 
them  forty  years  in  the  wilderness.  Did  He?  or 
did  He  not?  Is  He  as  competent  as  ever?  Alas! 
will  you  dare  to  say  those  were  the  days  of  His 
youth,  and  these  of  His  decrepitude? 

So  serious  are  these  questions.  But  the  unbelief 
that  exists  now  existed  then.  Do  you  remember 
what  the  people  did  when  they  had  lost  Moses  on 
the  mount  awhile  and  lacked  a  leader?  T/ie^^  made 
a  god  of  the  gold  which  they  had  brought  out  of  Egypt 
with  them,  and  fell  doivn  and  worsJiiped  the  work  of 
their  own  hands.  History  repeats  itself.  Who  can 
deny  that  we  have  been  looking  on  the  counter- 
part of  that? 

Is  there  any  measure,  it  may  be  well  to  ask  here, 
of  the  Christian's  giving,  for  one  who  would  be 
right  with  God  about  it? 

The  notion  of  the  tithe  or  tenth  has  been  revived, 
or  with  some  two  tithes,  as  that  which  was  the 
measure  of  an  Israelite's  giving.  Jacob  has  been 
propounded  to  us  as  an  example,  as  he  stood  before 
God  in  the  morning  after  that  wonderful  night  at 
Bethel,  when  God  had  engaged  to  be  with  him  and 
to  be  his  God,  and  to  multiply  his  seed,  and  bring 


I  lO  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

him  again  into  the  land  from  which  he  was  depart- 
ing. ''  If  God  will  be  with  me,"  he  says,  "and  will 
keep  me  in  the  way  that  I  go,  and  will  give  me 
bread  to  eat  and  raiment  to  put  on,  so  that  I  come 
again  to  my  father's  house  in  peace  ;  then  the  Lord 
shall  be  my  God ;  and  this  stone,  which  I  have  set 
for  a  pillar,  shall  be  God's  house,  and  of  all  that 
Thou  shalt  give  me,  I  will  surely  give  the  tenth 
unto  Thee." 

God's  ways  are  so  little  like  our  ways.  His 
thoughts  so  little  like  our  thoughts,  it  is  not  very 
wonderful  man  does  not  understand  them.  But 
surely  Jacob  does  not  here  enter  into  the  blessed- 
ness of  God's  thoughts. 

I  need  not  dwell  now  upon  his  case,  but  only 
notice  it  to  say  that  for  a  Christian  at  least  the 
whole  principle  is  a  mistake.  You  are  not  to  ran- 
som nine-tenths  from  God  by  giving  one.  You  are 
bought  with  g,  price — you  and  yours.  In  a  double 
way,  by  creation  and  redemption  too,  you  belong, 
with  all  you  have,  to  God.  Many  people  are  acting 
upon  the  perfectly  wrong  idea  that  whether  as  to 
time,  money,  or  whatever  else,  God  is  to  have  His 
share,  and  the  rest  is  their  own.  They  misunder- 
stand the  legal  types,  and  do  not  realize  the  im- 
mense difference  that  accomplished  redemption 
has  brought  in  with  it. 

Before  "  Ye  are  bought  with  a  price  "  could  yet 
be  said,  it  was  impossible  to  deduce  the  conse- 
quences that  result  from  this.  Grace  goes  beyond 
law,  which  made  nothing,  and  could  make  nothing, 
perfect.  The  very  essence  of  the  surrender  of  the 
life  to  God  is  that  it  must  be  a  voluntary  one. 
Like  the  vow  of  the  Nazarite,  which  was  a  vow  of 
separation  to  the  Lord,  and  which  reads,  "  When 


PERGAMOS.  1 1 1 

any  one  zvill  vow  the  vow  of  a  Nazarite,"  that  sur- 
render must  be  of  the  heart,  or  it  is  none.  Nor  is 
it  a  contradiction  to  this  that  there  were  born  Naz- 
arites — Nazarites  from  the  womb,  as  Samson  and 
the  Baptist.  We  are  all  born  (new-born)  to  Nazar- 
iteship,  which  is  implied  and  necessitated  (in  a  true 
sense)  by  the  life  which  we  receive  from  God.  Biit 
the  necessity  is  not  one  externally  impressed  upon 
it ;  it  is  an  internal  one.  *' A  new  heart  will  I  give 
you,"  says  the  Lord ;  but  the  new  heart  given  is  a 
heart  which  chooses  freely  the  service  of  its  Master. 

A  legal  requirement^  of  the  whole  then  would 
have  been  unavailing,  and  a  mere  bondage.  ^'  Not 
grudgingly,  or  of  necessity,"  is,  as  we  have  seen, 
the  Scripture-rule.  But  that  does  not  at  all  mean 
what  people  characterize  as  *'  cheap  religion."  It 
does  not  mean  that  God  will  accept  the  "mites"  of 
the  niggard  as  the  Lord  did  those  of  the  woman  in 
the  Gospels.  Christ  does  not  say  now.  Give  as 
much  or  as  little  as  you  please :  it  is  all  one.  No : 
He  expects  intelligent,  free  surrender  of  all  to 
Him,  as  on  the  part  of  one  who  recognizes  that  all 
is  really  His. 

If  you  will  look  at  the  sixteenth  chapter  of  Luke, 
you  will  find  the  Lord  announcing  very  distinctly 
this  principle.  The  unjust  steward  is  our  picture 
there, — the  picture  of  those  who  are  (as  we  all  are 
as  to  the  old  creation)  under  sentence  of  dismissal 
from  the  place  they  were  originally  put  in,  on  ac- 
count of  unrighteous  dealing  in  it.  Grace  has  not 
recalled  the  sentence,  ''  Thou  mayest  be  no  longer 
steward."  It  has  given  us  far  more,  but  it  has  not 
reinstalled  us  in  the  place  we  have  thus  lost.  Death, 
in  fact,  is  our  removal  from  our  stewardship,  al- 
though it  be  the  entrance,  for  us  as  Christians,  into 


112  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

something  which  must  be  confessed  "far  better." 
But  grace  has  delayed  the  execution  of  the  sen- 
tence, and  meanwhile  our  Master's  goods  are  in 
our  hand.  All  that  we  have  here  are  His  things, 
and  not  ours.  And  now  God  looks  for  us  to  be 
faithful  in  what  is,  alas!  to  men  as  such  (creature  of 
God  as  indeed  it  is,)  ''the  mammon  of  unrighteous- 
ness,"— the  miserable  deity  of  unrighteous  man. 

Moreover,  grace  counts  this  faithfulness  to  us. 
We  are  permitted  to  ''  make  friends  of  this  mam- 
mon of  unrighteousness"  by  our  godly  use  of  it, 
whereas   it   is   naturally,   through   our  fault,   our 
enemy  and  our  accuser.     It  must  not  be  imagined 
that  the  ''unjust  steward"  is  to  be  our  character 
literally  all  through.     The  Lord  shows  us  that  this 
is  not  so  when  He  speaks  of  "faithfulness"  being 
f  looked  for.     No  doubt  the  unjust  steward  in  the 
'  parable  acts  unjustly  with  his  master's  goods,  and 
1  it  must  not  be  imagined  that  God  commends  him, 
I  it  is  "  his  lord  "  that  does  so, — man  as  man  admiring 
'  the  shrewdness  which  he  displayed.     Yet  only  so 
could  be  imaged  that  conduct  which  in  us  is  not 
injustice   but  faithfulness   to   our   Master, — grace 
entitling  us  to  use  what  we  have  received,  for  our 
own  true  and  eternal  interests,  which  in  this  case 
are  one  with  His  own  due  and  glory. 

But  then  there  are  things  also  which  we  may 
speak  of  as  "our  own."  What  are  these?  Ah,  they 
are  what  the  Lord  speaks  of  as,  after  all,  "  the  true 
riches."  "  If  ye  have  not  been  faithful  in  the  un- 
righteous mammon,  who  will  commit  to  your  trust 
the  true  riches?  And  if  ye  have  not  been  faithful 
in  that  which  is  Another's,  [not  'another  mans' 
but  of  course  God's,]  who  will  give  you  that  which 
is  your  own  ?  " 


PERGAMOS.  113 

Thus  our  own  things  are  distinct  altogether  ;  and 
I  must  not  tell  Christians  what  they  are.  I  need 
only  remind  you  that  if  you  have  in  your  thoughts 
as  men  down  here,  a  quantity  of  things,  your  own 
possessions,  to  be  liberal  with  or  to  hoard  up, — in 
both  cases  you  misapprehend  the  matter.  *  You 
have  as  to  things  here  your  Master  s  goods,  which 
if  you  hoard  up  here,  you  surely  lose  hereafter, 
and  turn  into  accusers.  On  the  other  hand,  you 
are  graciously  permitted  to  transfer  them  really  to 
your  own  account,  by  laying  them  up  amid  your 
treasure,  where  your  treasure  is — "  in  heaven." 

The  rich  man  in  the  solemn  illustration  at  the 
end  of  the  chapter  was  one  who  had  made  his 
Lord's  "  good  things  "  his  own  after  another  fashion, 
and  in  eternity  they  were  not  friends,  but  enemies 
and  accusers.  *'  Son,"  says  Abraham  to  him,  "  re- 
member that  thou  in  thy  lifetime  receivedst  thy 
good  things."  That  was  all,  but  what  a  solemn 
memory  it  was !  How  once  again  the  purple  and 
fine  linen  and  sumptuous  fare  met  the  eyes  they 
had  once  gratified  and  now  appalled  !  Lazarus  had 
been  at  his  gate,  but  it  was  not  Lazarus  that  ac- 
cused. And  oh,  beware  of  having  things  your  own 
down  here!  There  was  a  man  who  had  '^his  good 
things  "  here,  and  in  eternity  what  were  they  to  him  ? 

I  know  this  is  not  the  gospel.   No,  but  it  is  what, 
as  the  principle  of  God's  holy  government,  the 
gospel  should   prepare  us  to  understand  and  to 
enter  into.      Have   you    observed    that   the   most^ 
beautiful  and  affecting  story  of  gospel  grace,  the 
story  of  the  lost  son  received,  is  what  precedes  thei 
story  of  the  unjust  steward?     The  Pharisees  who! 
in  the  fifteenth  chapter  stand  for  the  picture  of  the  \ 
elder  son  are  here  rebuked  in  the  person  of  the  rich 


114  PRKSENT  THINGS,    ETC. 

man.  Will  not  the  prodigal  received  back  to  a 
Father's  arms  be  the  very  one  who  will  understand 
that  he  owes  his  all  to  a  Father's  love?  Is  not  "Ye 
are  bought  with  a  price"  the  gospel?  But  then 
"ye  are  bougJU :  ye  are  not  your  own." 

Put  it  in  another  way.  You  remember  that 
when  God  would  bring  His  people  out  of  Egypt, 
Pharaoh  wanted  to  compromise, — of  course  by  that 
compromise  to  keep  the  people  as  his  slaves.  Three 
separate  offers  he  makes  to  Moses,  each  of  which 
would  have  prevented  salvation  being,  according 
to  God's  thought  of  it,  salvation  at  all.  The  first 
compromise  was,  "  Worship  in  the  landr . 

"And  Pharaoh  called  for  Moses  and  for  Aaron, 
and  said,  'Go  ye,  sacrifice  to  your  God  in  the  land.' " 

And  still  the  world  asks,  "Why  need  you  go  out- 
side it?  You  are  entitled  to  your  opinions,  but 
why  be  so  extreme?  Why  three  days'  journey 
into  the  wilderness?  Why  separate  from  what  you 
were  brought  up  in,  and  from  people  as  good  as 
you?"  Ah,  they  do  not  know  what  that  three 
days'  journey  implies,  and  that  the  death  and 
resurrection  of  Christ  place  you  where  you  are  no 
more  of  the  world  than  He  is!  Egypt, — luxurious, 
civilized,  self-satisfied,  idolatrous  Egypt, — and  the 
wilderness!  what  a  contrast!  Yet  only  in  the 
wilderness  can  you  sacrifice  to  God. 

Then  he  tries  another  stratagem : — 

"And  he  said  unto  them,  'Go,  serve  the  Lord 
your  God  ;  but  who  are  they  that  shall  go  ? ' 

"And  Moses  said,  '  We  will  go  with  our  young 
and  with  our  old,  with  our  sons  and  with  our 
daughters,  with  our  flocks  and  with  our  herds  we 
will  go;  for  we  must  hold  a  feast  unto  the  Lord.' 

*'And  he  said  unto  them,  'Let  the  Lord   be  so 


PERGAMOS.  1 1  5 

with  you,  as  I  will  let  you  go  and  your  little  ones: 
look  to  it,  for  evil  is  before  you.  Not  so:  go  now 
ye  that  are  men,  and  serve  the  Lord ;  for  that  ye 
did  desire.' " 

By  their  little  ones  he  had  them  safe,  of  course, — 
a  perfectly  good  security  that  they  would  not  go 
far  away.  And  so  it  is  still.  How  many  are 
brought  back  into  the  world  by  the  children  they 
did  not  bring  with  them  out  of  the  world ! 

One  last  hope  remains  for  Pharaoh : — 

''And  Pharaoh  called  unto  Moses,  and  said,  '  Go 
ye,  serve  the  Lord ;  only  let  your  flocks  and  your 
Jierds  be  stayed :  let  your  little  ones  also  go  with 
you.' " 

"Leave  your  possessions,"  he  says;  and  how 
many  leave  their  possessions!  Themselves  are 
saved :  but  their  business,  their  occupation,  these 
are  still  not  sacred  things,  they  are  secular;  what 
have  these  things  to  do  with  the  salvation  of  the 
soul? 

But  God  sa3^s.  No:  bring  them  all  out  of  Egypt: 
yourselves,  your  families,  your  property, — all  are 
to  be  Mine. 

And  in  point  of  fact,  His  it  must  be  if  we  would 
ourselves  keep  it,  for  we  cannot  keep  it  of  ourselves. 
The  man  out  of  whom  the  devil  went  is  our  Lord's 
own  illustration  of  the  fact  that  an  empty  house 
will  never  lack  a  tenant.  The  sweeping  and  gar- 
nishing and  all  that,  will  not  keep  out  the  devil,  but 
perhaps  only  make  him  more  earnest  after  occupa- 
tion. Nothing  will  save  from  it  but  the  positive 
possession  of  it  by  another,  who  will  not  and  need 
not  give  it  up.  So  we  must  bring  Christ  into  every 
thing,  or  by  that  in  which  He  is  not  we  shall  find 
we   have   but   made   room   for  another, — Christ's 


Il6  PRESENT  THINGS,  ETC. 

opposite.  The  parable  has  application  in  many 
ways  and  in  many  degrees  to  those  who  are  Christ's 
people,  as  well  as  to  those  who  are  not.  Our  really 
idle  hours  are  not  idle.  Our  useless  occupations 
have  a  use,  if  not  for  Christ,  then  against  Him. 
Our  so-called  recreations  may  be  but  the  frittering 
away  of  energy,  as  well  as  time,  and  not  only  dis- 
traction, but  the  seed  of  worse  distraction. 

We  are  in  a  world  where  on  every  side  we  are 
exposed  to  influences  of  the  most  subtle  character; 
where  corruption  and  decay  are  natural;  and 
where  all  thus  is  not  permeated  by  divine  life,  it 
becomes  the  necessary  and  speedy  subject  of  decay 
and  death.  To  a  beleaguered  garrison,  a  holiday 
may  be  fatal.  We  cannot  ever  here  ungird  our 
loins  or  unbuckle  our  armor.  It  is  not  enough  to 
withstand  in  the  evil  day ;  but  having  done  all,  still 
you  must  stand.  So  if  you  leave  Christ  at  the  door 
of  the  counting-house,  you  will  have  to  contend 
alone  with  (or  give  place  to)  the  devil  within  the 
counting-house. 

Does  this  startle  you?  does  it  seem  to  require 
too  much?  It  requires  that  you  should  be  with 
Christ  in  constant  companionship,  at  all  times  and 
on  all  occasions.  Is  that  narrow, — a  rigid,  an  un- 
comfortable view  of  matters?  Does  it  distress  you 
to  think  of  giving  Him  such  a  place  as  that?  There 
are  those  who  believe  that  lie  is  the  picture  of  a 
converted  man,  who  complains  he  never  got  a  kid 
to  make  merry  with  his  friends.  Do  you  realize 
that?  Do  you  sympathize  with  such  a  view?  Have 
you  friends  that  you  would  like  to  run  away  to  for 
a  while  out  of  Christ's  scrutiny  or  company? 
Beloved,  when  you  think  of  heaven,  is  it  of  a  long 
monotony  of  being  ''ever  with  the  Lord"?      You 


PERGAMOS.  117 

startle  at  that  suggestion;  and  no  wonder.  But 
if  you  will  find  eternal  joy  then,  and  now  can 
think  of  it  as  that,  to  be  ever  with  Him  there,  is 
it  less  happy  to  think  of  being  always  with  Him 
here? 

At  any  rate,  you  cannot  alter  the  reality  by  all 
your  thoughts  about  it.  None  of  our  thoughts  can 
change  the  nature  of  things.  You  cannot  find  in 
all  this  world  a  clean  corner  in  which  you  can  be 
apart  from  Christ  and  yet  apart  from  evil.  And 
if  you  could,  the  very  idea  of  being  so  would  of 
itself  pollute  it  with  evil.  No;  Christ  must  be  a 
constant  Saviour  as  to  every  detail  of  our  walk  and 
ways.  Communion  with  Him  is  the  only  alterna- 
tive of  communion  with  evil.  The  wisdom  that 
has  not  Him  in  it,  will  be  ''  earthly,  sensual,  devil- 
ish ; "  if  it  come  not  from  above,  come  it  will  from 
below. 

Thus  you  see  how  important  it  is  to  be  right 
here.  It  is  not  a  mere  question  of  points  of  detail; 
it  is  a  question  of  truth  of  heart  to  Him,  which 
affects  every  detail, — the  whole  character  and 
complexion  of  our  lives  indeed.  So  you  must  not 
wonder  at  a  question  of  catf/e  being  concerned  with 
a  deeper  question  of  "salvation"  itself;  looking  at 
salvation  as  not  merely  being  from  wrath  and  con- 
demnation, but  of  salvation  from  the  sin  also  which 
brings  in  these.  God  gives  it  us  thus  in  the  typical 
picture  here,  and  it  is  not  a  blot  or  deformity  in  the 
picture,  but  rather  an  essential  part.  Be  persuaded 
of  it,  beloved  friends,  that  only  thus  can  we  find,  in 
the  full  power  of  it,  what  salvation  is. 

We  have  been  looking  at  this  from  the  side  of 
responsibility.  Surely  it  is  good  to  look  at  it  also 
from  the  side  of  salvation.     Until  you  are  clean 


Il8  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

delivered  in  these  three  respects,  you  cannot  be 
happily  with  God,  nor  even  safe.  Of  course  I  am 
not  talking  about  reaching  heaven;  you  may  be 
safe  in  that  respect.  But  whatever  you  have  that 
is  not  Christ's,  that  is  the  world's  still,  and  it  will 
drag  you  back  into  the  world.  You  are  keeping  it 
back  from  Him;  you  have  a  divided  interest;  how 
can  this  but  affect  all  your  intercourse,  all  your 
happiness  (or  what  you  ought  to  have)  with  Him? 
Can  you  go  to  your  business  and  shut  the  door 
upon  Him  and  He  not  feel  it,  SLud  j/ou  not  feel  it? 
Can  you  say  to  Him,  "Lord,  Sunday  is  Yours  and 
Monday  is  mine,"  or  "Lord,  there  is  Your  tenth, 
and  these  nine  are  mine,"  and  feel  perfectly  satisfied 
that  all  is  right  with  Him? 

And  practically,  it  gets  to  be  much  less.  He  gets 
.a  part  of  our  superfluity,  and  that  is  all.  We  must 
dress  like  our  neighbors,  live  up  to  our  rank  of  life, 
put  a  little  by  for  a  "  rainy  day,"  and  something  for 
our  children.  "  We  must  be  just  before  we  are 
generous,"  we  think.  And  then,  with  some  reserve 
for  recreation,  and  some  for  miscellaneous  trifles, 
all  the  rest  shall  be  the  Lord's.  It  may  be  but  a 
"  mite,"  but  did  not  He  accept  a  mite?  So  the  very 
narrozvness  of  our  dole  to  the  Lord  who  has  saved  us 
links  us  with  her  zvho  had  His  special  commend- 
ation. 

Better  keep  it  all  back  than  give  it  in  that  fashion. 
For  the  amount  given  just  hinders  from  realizing 
where  we  are.  We  give  it  ungrudgingly,  perhaps : 
we  think  it  has  the  Lord's  approval  therefore.  We 
do  not  think  Jioiv  much  it  is  that  we  can  give  un- 
grudgingly. 

Ungrudgingly  it  must  be.  Love  it  must  be. 
Though  I  give  all  my  goods  to  feed  the  poor,  except 


PERGAMOS.  119 

it  be  love  that  does  it,  it  will  be  utterly  contemned. 
But  if  our  love  is  measured  by  what  we  give  to 
Him,  how  serious  is  the  question  raised ! 

In  this  great  world  of  sorrow  and  of  evil,  Christ 
has  interests  dear  to  His  heart, — how  dear,  no  one 
of  us  has  perhaps  a  notion  of.  Souls  lie  in  darkness 
to  whom  His  Word  would  give  light,  and  in  bond- 
age to  whom  it  would  bring  deliverance.  He  says 
to  us,  ''  I  count  upon  My  people  to  do  this."  How 
can  we  answer  to  Him  for  this  confidence  He  has 
placed  in  us?  Shall  we  say,  *' Lord,  I  have  had  to 
keep  up  with  my  neighbors,  to  provide  for  the 
future,  to  do  a  great  many  things,  which  I  thought 
of  more  importance"?  or  shall  we  say,  *' Lord, 
Thou  art  so  great,  so  high,  so  powerful.  Thou 
surely  canst  not  want  my  help  in  a  matter  like 
this!"  or,  again,  "Lord,  Thou  art  so  gracious,  I 
am  sure  Thou  wilt  accept  any  thing  I  may  bring: 
I  would  not  suppose  Thee  a  hard  Master,  to  want 
me  to  bring  Thee  much"?  Alas,  what  shall  we 
say?  Shall  we  not  rather  own  with  broken  hearts 
how  little  we  have  valued  Him  ? 

The  "doctrine  of  Balaam"  thrives  upon  the 
heartlessness  of  God's  own  people.  Do  not  let  us 
imagine,  because  we  denounce  the  mercenary 
character  of  what  is  current  all  around,  that  we 
can  have  no  share  in  upholding  what  we  denounce. 
It  is  far  otherwise.  If  we  have  given  cause,  are 
giving  cause,  to  those  who  sneer  at  the  advocates 
of  "cheap  religion,"  we  are  giving  it  the  most 
effectual  possible  support.  In  words,  you  de- 
nounce ;  in  deeds,  you  justify.  You  tell  them  that 
it  is  vain  to  trust  to  the  power  of  Christ's  love  in 
Christians, — that  your  own  barn  is  practically 
dearer  to  you  than  all  God's  house ;  and  they  can 


I20  PRESENT  THINGS,    ETC. 

point  to  you  triumphantly  as  proof  of  the  necessity 
of  all  that  they  contend  for. 

Beloved,  I  have  done.  I  have  spoken  out  my 
heart,  and  I  must  pray  you  bear  with  me.  Who 
that  looks  around  with  a  heart  for  Christ  upon  all 
the  abominations  practiced  in  His  name  but  must 
be  led  to  ask.  Did  not  all  this  evil  spring  out  of  the 
failure  of  His  own  people — of  those  who  at  heart 
loved  Him?  And  further,  how  far  are  we  perhaps 
now  unsuspectingly  helping  on  the  very  evils  we 
deplore?  Do  we  not  pray  for  Him  to  search  out 
our  hearts?  and  shall  we  shrink  from  having  them 
searched  out?  If  the  search  detects  nothing,  we 
need  not  fear  it:  if  it  shows  us  unanticipated  evil, 
it  is  well  to  realize  that  the  truthful  judgment  of 
the  evil  is  ever  the  truest  blessing  for  our  souls.  It 
will  cost  us  something,  no  doubt,  to  walk  in  what 
is  ever  a  narrow  way.  A  race,  a  warfare,  call  for 
energy  and  self-denial.  But  ah,  beloved,  it  will 
cost  us  more,  much  more,  to  have  Christ  walk  as  a 
stranger  to  us  because  our  paths  and  His  do  not 
agree.  How  few,  when  they  speak  of  cost,  put 
this  into  their  balancd-sheet !  Yet,  ''if  I  wash  thee 
not,"  He  says,  "thou  hast  no  part  with  Me."  Are 
there  not  many  trying  to  keep  up  appearances, 
when  that  is  the  inward  trouble  of  their  souls  ? 

But  the  door  is  open,  beloved,  to  came  back.  He 
has  never  shut  it.  The  one  thing  so  greatly  lacking 
now  is  whole-hearted  integrity ; — so  few  without 
some  secret  corner  in  their  hearts  that  they  would 
not  like  to  have  searched  out  by  Him.  That 
corner  must  be  searched  out,  for  He  must  be  a 
Saviour  after  His  own  fashion ;  and  if  we  would 
not  have  it,  we  can  have  little  apprehended   the 


PERGAMOS.  121 

fullness  and  reality  of  His  salvation.  Not  alone 
does  He  save  from  w^rath:  He  saves  from  sin.  It 
is  in  subjection  to  His  yoke  that  v^e  find  rest. 
From  our  own  will  and  ways  and  thoughts,  in  His 
blessed  will,  His  thoughts,  His  love. 

God  grant  it  to  us  for  His  name's  sake,  even 
now. 

Pergamos :    the  Promise  to  the  Over  comer. 

(Rev.  ii.  17.) 

The  promise  to  the  overcomer  in  Pergamos  claims 
our  deepest  attention.  As  always  in  these  epistles, 
it  emphasizes  the  condition  of  those  to  whom 
it  is  addressed;  and  we  have  seen  that  this  is 
not  merely  a  past  condition,  but  a  stage  in  the 
development  of  what  is  all  around  us  to-day ;  so 
that  the  exhortations  and  warnings  suited  to  it 
have  for  us  no  less  force  than  ever.  In  fact  they 
should  have  more,  as  we  stand  face  to  face  with 
that  development, — as  the  fruit,  ripe  and  multiplied, 
is  before  our  eyes. 

But  the  promise  to  the  overcomer,  while  remind- 
ing us  of  the  departure  and  decay  already  so  far 
gone,  is  not  shrouded  with  the  gloom  of  this.  On 
the  contrary,  it  is  bright  with  hope,  and  full  of  the 
joy  which  for  the  Christian  can  spring  out  of  what- 
ever sorrow.  It  breathes  the  spirit  of  what  the 
apostle  speaks  of  as  our  portion  ever,  *'not  the 
spirit -of  fear,  but  of  power  and  love  and  of  a  sound 
mind."  It  is  Christ's  word  of  encouragement  for 
those  who  in  the  strife  of  the  battle-fidld  look  to  the 
Captain  of  their  salvation ;  and  it  carries  us  beyond 
the  scene  of  strife  to  the  inheritance  already  sure 
to  us,  although  through  trial  and  suffering  is  the 
path  by  which  it  is  ordained  to  reach  it. 


122  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

The  promise  has  two  parts,  which  are  in  beauti- 
ful relation  to  one  another.  The  manna,  as  is 
evident,  speaks  of  Christ  Himself,  and  of  our  appre- 
hension of  Him ;  the  zvhite  stone  is  a  sign,  on  the 
other  hand,  of  His  appreciation  of  us.  How  blessed 
is  the  interchange  of  affection  thus  expressed ! 
How  touching  the  appeal  to  it  where  the  heart  of 
His  beloved  is  so  manifestly  wandering  away  from 
Him  !  The  manna  is  wilderness  food :  it  fell  only 
there,  in  Egypt  it  was  not  yet  known ;  arrived 
within  the  borders  of  the  land,  it  ceased.  It  was 
divine  provision  for  those  to  whom  God  was  an 
absolute  necessity,  whom  He  had  brought  into  a 
place  where  was  no  natural  provision,  where  they 
were  wholly  cast  upon  Him.  It  was  this  necessity 
which  was  their  claim  upon  the  tender  compassion 
of  their  great  Deliverer.  He  had,  indeed,  made 
Himself  responsible  to  answer  to  it,  and  all  their 
varied  need  was  thus  to  draw  out  new  witness  of 
divine  resources, — riches  of  glory — power  and 
love  alike. 

The  wilderness  does  not  speak  of  any  natural 
condition.  Egypt  is  the  natural  condition,  and 
Egypt  is  a  very  fruitful  land.  There  were  many 
drawbacks  there,  no  doubt,  which  would  in  general 
be  freely  acknowledged.  Plagues  smote  there  as 
elsewhere,  and  an  oppressive  tyranny  brooded 
over  it:  but  the  one,  they  might  hope  individually 
to  escape;  the  other,  they  bore  in  company  with  a 
multitude.  But  the  productiveness  of  the  soil  no 
one  could  question:  ''We  remember  the  fish  which 
we  did  eat  in  Egypt  freely ;  the  cucumbers,  and 
the  melons,  and  the  leeks,  and  the  onions,  and  the 
garlic:  and  now  our  soul  is  dried  away,  there  is 
nothing  at  all  but  this  manna  before  our  eyes." 


PERGAMOS.  123 

The  promise  of  the  manna  is,  then,  for  the  wil- 
derness, but  it  is  the  overcome?-  in  Pergamos  who 
alone  knows  the  need  of  the  wilderness.  Those 
who  have  settled  down  in  the  world  proclaim  by 
the  fact  how  little  they  find  the  world  such ;  and 
this  character  of  the  overcomer  confirms  our  view 
of  the  state  spiritually  of  Pergamos  itself.  Here 
it  was  no  longer  the  state  of  individuals  merely, 
but  of  the  mass ;  and  not  even  a  secret  state,  but 
avowed  openly  in  deed  if  not  in  word.  Thus,  then, 
the  Lord  speaks  to  him  who,  true  to  his  calling, 
finds  in  Himself  his  one  necessity  and  satisfaction. 
''  Bread  shall  be  given  him,  his  water  shall  be  sure." 
Yea,  "meat  which  endureth  unto  everlasting  life," 
and  water  which  shall  "  be  in  him  a  spring  of  water, 
springing  up  to  everlasting  life." 

And  this  may  remind  us  that  the  manna,  of  which 
the  Lord  speaks  in  the  promise  here,  although  it  be 
the  manna  of  the  wilderness,  is  not,  nevertheless, 
what    was   partaken   of   in   the   wilderness.      The) 
''hidden  manna"  was  that  put  by  command  of  God 
into  the  ark,  and  carried  into  the  land,  that  after- 
generations  might  see  the  bread  wherewith  He  had 
fed  them  in  the  wilderness."    In  this  case  it  was,  of 
course,  not  eaten;   but  the  Lord  promises  to  the 
overcon)er  here  that  he  shall  eat  it;  clearly  in  the 
blessed  place  which  for  us  has  in  the  highest  de- 
gree the  character  attributed  to  the  land  of  Canaan, 
— a  place  "  where  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  are  continu- 
ally:" the  wilderness  food  is  still  to  be  enjoyed 
when  the  wilderness  is  passed  forever.  The  hidden/ 
manna  was  the  memorial  sample  of  what  had  fallen^^ 
long  before :  it  is  typically  the  abiding  remembrance* j 
of  what  we  once  tasted, — the  fresh  taste  in  eternity/' 
of  Christ  as  enjoyed  by  faith  down  here.  f 


124  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

We  may  thus  see  (and  it  is  good  to  see,)  how 
closely  connected  the  life  to  come  is  with  the  pres- 
ent. Do  we  not  miss  much  by  separating  them  as 
widely  as  we  sometimes  do?  and  by  supposing 
that,  apart  from  all  experiences  and  attainments 
here,  all  elements  of  blessing  will  be  found  in  equal 
degree  in  the  cup  of  eternal  joy,  when  our  lips  are 
once  at  its  brim?  by  imagining  that  if  ''when  that 
which  is  perfect  is  come,  that  which  is  in  part  shall 
be  done  away,"  then  all  present  effects  of  lack  of 
communion,  or  of  that  knowledge  which  results  in 
and  implies  communion,  will  be  necessarily  passed 
also ;  not  allowed  to  abate  in  any  wise  the  eternal 
portion?  Is  this  what  the  words  of  the  apostle 
indeed  assure  us  of  ? 

For  each  one  of  us,  no  doubt,  the  state  will  be 
perfect,  the  partial  condition  will  be  done  away. 
That  is  surely  so.  When  the  bud  is  ripened  into 
the  flower,  the  perfect  condition  is  reached ;  it  is  a 
bud  no  longer.  Does  it  follow  from  this  at  all  that 
the  flower  is  in  no  wise  dependent  upon  that  bud 
which  is  passed  away?  We  know  it  is  dependent. 
So  when  it  is  no  longer  a  condition  of  faith,  but  of 
sight, — no  longer  seeing  through  a  glass,  darkly, 
but  face  to  face,  the  present  knowing'^ — not  the 
knowledge  itself,  but  the  manner  of  it — will  have 
passed.  We  "shall  know,"  not  as  afar  off  any 
longer,  but  in  the  presence  of  the  things  known. 
That  is,  "as  we  are  known,"  as  He  to  whom  all 


*" Knowledge,"  in  1  Cor.  xiii.  8,  may  be  here  better  rendered  "know- 
ing" {yv(S)6i'i^.  When  it  is  added,  "Then  shall  I  know  even  as  also  I 
am  [or  rather  have  been]  known"  (v.  12),  a  compound  form  is  used 
(^ETtiyir 006x00).  This  last  perfectly  suits  the  apostle's  comparison  of 
seeing  face  to  face  instead  of  through  a  glass.  It  is  intensive, — a  knowing 
founded  upon  knowledge,  and  thus  often  used  for  "recognition"  and 
•'  acknowledgment." 


PERGAMOS.  125 

things  are  present  knows  us.     It  does  not  speak  of 
the  measure  of  knowledge,  but  of  the  manner  of  it;l* 
for  who  could  suppose  the  measure  of  it  to  bet- 
God's  omniscience?     And  it  is  of  the  manner  of  it 
— face-to-face  knowledge — the  apostle  speaks. 

Rather  will  the  limits  of  our  knowledge  there  be 
defined,  and  we  shall  be  conscious  of  them, — spared 
thus  the  strain  of  searching  into  the  unsearchable,  r 
and  delivered  from  the  temptation  of  aspiring  to  ' 
what  is  beyond  our  sphere.  There  will  be,  of 
course,  complete  satisfaction  with  the  limits  what- 
ever they  may  be. 

But  this,  then,  removes  the  thought  of  any  nec- 
essary equality  of  knowledge  among  the  redeemed 
themselves.  The  "new  name  written,  which  no 
man  knoweth  saving  he  that  receiveth  it" is  a  proof 
of  this  in  the  words  before  us.  And  the  hidden 
manna  is  another  proof.  For  the  partaking  of  that 
which  fell  in  the  wilderness  is  only  possible  as  a 
recalling  of  experience  once  known.  It  is  not  a 
fresh  experience,  but  a  past  experience  enjoyed 
afresh.  Christ  is  no  more  there  the  humbled  One 
of  which  the  manna  speaks;  and  the  hidden  manna 
was  carried  into  Canaan,  not  belonged  there.  It 
was  strictly  a  memorial  of  the  past,  and  as  this,  has 
its  significance.  The  experience  which  we  gain 
here  is  gained  forever;  the  joy  is  not  for  a  moment, 
the  meat  endures  unto  eternal  life:  the  fruit  of  the 
sorrow  we  pass  through  is  not  reaped  all  amid  the 
sorrow,  but  reaped  above  all,  there  where  the  har- 
vest is  an  abiding  one.     Blessed  be  God,  it  is  so. 

Some  imagine  a  common  height  of  blessing  to 
which  grace  lifts  in  result  all  partakers  of  it,  which 
leaves  no  practical  issue  for  eternity  of  whatever 
difference  in  the  life  and  ways  on  earth.     Others 


126  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

would  cut  off,  as  contrary  to  the  grace  which  re- 
members our  sins  and  iniquities  no  more,  the  very 
memory  of  them  within  us,  as  if  it  would  spoil  the 
eternal  blessedness.  Others,  again, — and  this  is  a 
most  common  mistake, — would  confound  the  fruits 
of  grace,  which  we  enjoy  in  common,  with  the 
rewards  of  grace,  which  have  respect  to  responsi- 
bilities fulfilled.  All  these  are  alike  errors,  and 
lead  to  practical  consequences  which  are  of  grave 
importance. 
J  Sonship,  heirship,  membership  in  the  body  of 
i  Christ,  are  alike  pure  gifts  of  divine  grace,  and  in 
no  wise  of  work.  They  are  ours  once  for  all,  and 
never  withdrawn  from  us.  How  blessed  to  realize 
that  these  are,  after  all,  our  very  chiefest  blessings, 
which  we  have  in  common!  How  much  less,  com- 
paratively, must  the  reward  of  our  work  be,  and 
the  reward  of  Christ's  work,  which  they  all  are! 
I  How  precious  to  know  that  every  child  of  the 
^j  Father's  love  shall  be  clasped  to  the  Father's  heart 
;  alike, — that  there  shall  be  no  more  distance  for  one 
kthan  for  another!  Yet  it  is  not  every  one  who  is 
clear  as  to  salvation  who  is  clear  as  to  this.  But 
were  it  otherwise,  who  could,  without  presumption, 
anticipate  any  nearness  at  all  ?  But  the  many  man- 
sions of  the  Father's  house  have  room  for  all,  and 
the  Father's  heart  has  surely  no  less  room.  "What 
manner  of  love  hath  He"  indeed  ''bestowed  upon 
us,  that  we  should  be  called  the  sons  of  God  ! "  But 
it  is  His  love,  and  let  us  enjoy  it  to  the  full  without 
a  remnant  of  fear.  Let  not  one  shadow  of  legality 
darken  the  joy  of  it.  And  this  love  shall  be  justified 
in  its  fullest  expression  also,  for  "we  shall  be" — 
one  as  much  as  another, — "  like  Christ,  for  we  shall 
see  Hmi  as  He  is." 


PERGAMOS.  127 

It  is  not,  perhaps,  wonderful  that  as  we  contem- 
plate such  blessings  as  these  we  should  be  tempted 
to  think  that  there  surely  cannot  be  left  room  for 
any  difference  whatever.  To  be  like  Christ! — all 
altogether  like  Him !  Think  of  it,  ye  His  beloved, 
the  fruit  of  His  work,  the  purchase  of  His  precious 
blood!  Who  could  imagine,  indeed,  that  the  fruit 
of  our  work  could  make  any  difference  here !  For 
whom  could  it  be  but  in  the  most  absolute  wonder- 
ful love,  with  power  to  accomplish  its  desires  in 
us?  Shall  any  thing  hinder  that  accomplishment, 
then?  No,  nothing!  What  is  stronger  than  what 
manifested  itself  in  the  cross?  What  can  rob  it  of 
its  glorious  reward  ? 

Yet  unspeakably  great  as  all  this  is,  still  he  that 
has  an  ear  to  receive  the  Scripture  testimony  will 
surely  find  that,  beside  the  common  blessing  which 
every  one  of  Christ's  own  shall  get,  there  are  dis-^ 
tinctive  and  individual  blessings,  which  are  not,| 
therefore,  the  same  for  all.  ''  To  reward  every  one 
according  as  his  work  shall  be." — "  Rule  thou  over 
ten  .  .  .  rule  thou  over  five  cities." — "  Hold  that 
fast  which  thou  hast,  that  no  man  take  thy  crown." 
These  passages,  and  such  as  these,  are  unmistakably 
clear  also.  Nor  can  it  be  urged  that  it  is  only  in 
temporary  not  in  eternal  awards  that  such  distinc- 
tions can  have  place.  The  hidden  manna  and  the 
white  stone  are  not  of  this  character,  and  they  both 
speak  of  what  is  the  result  of  the  earthly  walk.        , 

And  again,  it  is  in  no  wise  true  that  the  very  sins 
of  which  God  says,  *'  I  will  remember  them  no 
more"  shall  not  come  up  before  the  judgment-seat 
of  Christ.  They  surely  shall.  **God,"  says  the 
Preacher,  "shall  bring  every  ^vork  mto  judgment, 
with  every  secret  thing,  whether  it  be  good  or 


128  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

whether  it  be  evil."  "  We  must  all  be  manifested 
before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ,  that  every  one 
may  receive  the  things  done  in  his  body,  whether 
it  be  good  or  whether  it  be  evil." 

Are  these  things  contradictory?  They  are 
equally  parts  of  God's  perfect  and  eternal  Word. 
Nor  is  there  the  slightest  difficulty  even  as  to  their 
reconciliation,  if  we  may  speak  of  reconciliation  as 
needful.  God  will  indeed  remember  our  sins  no 
more ;  but  does  any  one  imagine  that  His  memory 
will  fail  in  the  least  as  to  one  of  them  ?  Against  us 
He  will  not  remember  them.  No  displeasure  on 
their  account  shall  ever  darken  His  glorious  face. 
Never  will  He  upbraid  us  with  them.  It  is  we 
who  shall  "  give  account  of  ourselves  to  Him."  Shall 
it  be  only  of  whatever  good,  little  or  much  as  it  may 
be?  Shall  we  present  ourselves  as  sinless  ones, 
who  have  had  no  need  of  redeeming  blood?  Stand- 
ing in  the  glory  and  perfection  of  Christ's  likeness 
as  we  then  shall  be,  our  memories  shall  be  fully 
alive  with  all  the  past,  so  as  to  give  a  faithful  record 
of  it  before  the  throne  of  truth.  All  mists,  all  un- 
certainties, all  errors,  will  be  gone  forever.  How 
blessed  to  be  clear  of  them  !  Then  how  bright  will 
God's  grace  appear !  how  perfect  His  wisdom ! 
Not,  surely,  with  reference  to  an  angel's  course, 
but  to  that  of  a  fallen,  erring,  yet  redeemed  man. 
And  the  memories  of  our  sins,  would  we  be  then 
without  them,  when  without  them  the  whole  world 
would  be  an  impenetrable  darkness  still,  and  the 
very  song  of  redemption  could  not  itself  be  sung ! 

And  it  is  declared  of  some  who  build  upon  God's 
foundation  gold,  silver,  precious  stones,  wood,  hay, 
stubble,  the  day  shall  declare  it,  lor  it  shall  be  re- 
vealed with  fire,  and  the  fire  shall  try  every  man's 


PERGAMOS.  129 

work  of  what  sort  it  is.  If  any  man's  \xor!^  abide 
winch  he  has  buih  thereon,  he  shall  receive  a  re- 
ward ;  if  any  man's  work  be  burned  up,  he  shall 
suffer  loss;  yet  he  himself  shall  be  saved,  yet  so  as 
through  the  fire.  No  matter  of  what  class  of  be-? 
lievers  this  speaks,  the  principle  announced  is : 
plain:  reward  to  some,  to  others  loss,  while  yet 
both  alike  are  saved  ones. 

Thus  the  promise  of  the  hidden  manna  appeals 
solemnly,  while  most  encouragingly,  to  us.  Our 
present  life  is  not  cut  off  by  so  broad  a  division 
from  the  eternal  one  as  some  would  have  it;  while 
yet  there  is  a  division  as  plain  as  it  is  serious.  The 
days  of  human  responsibility  end  with  the  life  here. 
It  is  for  the  things  done  in  the  body  that  they  are 
judged  or  rewarded,  and  for  these  only.  Thus 
these  days  exercise  an  irreversible  influence  over 
the  life  to  come:  the  hidden  manna  and  the  white 
stone  are  eternal  recompenses  of  the  present  time. 
In  another  sense,  as  to  the  hidden  manna,  it  is  but 
that  "the  meat"  that  faith  lives  on  now  is  but  the 
"meat  that  endureth  to  everlasting  life."  So  that 
the  spiritual  experiences  of  the  present  pass  on  as 
memories  into  the  eternal  joy  beyond.  But  as 
memories  with  none  of  the  dullness  which  attaches 
to  such  things  now ;  for  then  is  the  day  of  mani- 
festation and  of  recompense,  and  the  memory  then 
will  far  outdo  the  experience  now. 

We  pass  through  trial  and  adversity,  through 
a  world  in  truth  a  wilderness,  a  place  of  utter  de- 
pendence, in  which  faith  feels,  amid  the  darkness, 
for  the  strength  of  the  everlasting  arms.  And  here 
we  learn,  as  no  where  else  could  we  learn,  the  grace 
that  is  come  down  to  us.  We  are  like  those  that 
go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships,  and  that  have  their 


130  PRESENT  THINGS,  ETC. 

business  in  the  deep  waters, — men  that  see  the 
works  of  the  Lord,  and  His  wonders  in  the  deep. 
''A  brother  is  born  for  adversity,"  and  in  adversity 
we  learn  the  touch  of  a  brother's  hand  ;  yea,  "there 
is  a  Friend  that  sticketh  closer  than  a  brother,"  and 
how  blessed  to  realize  in  Him  who  sticks  so  close 
the  very  Lord  of  glory  Himself !  Not  a  kindly  and 
gracious  Protector  merely,  from  His  own  sphere 
of  unchanging  blessedness,  but  One  hand  in  hand, 
traveling  the  same  road,  ministering  of  His  own 
cup  of  consolation,  displaying  sympathies  which 
have  been  developed  in  the  self-same  path,  but  of 
sorrows  voluntarily  endured  that  He  might  so 
minister  to  us. 

Precious  humiliation,  upon  which  the  heavens 
once  looked  down  in  wonder!  but  of  which  none 
can  know  in  truth  the  deepest  meaning,  save  those 
who  have  drunk  of  the  cup  of  the  pilgrim,  and  in 
actual  poverty  been  enriched  by  a  greater  poverty 
of  Him  for  our  sakes  come  into  it.  It  is  this  which 
makes  the  hidden  manna  so  impossible  to  be  tasted 
except  by  one  who  has  tasted  the  manna  in  that 
wilderness  where  alone  it  fell.  After-generations 
in  Israel  might  indeed  see  the  food  wherewith  the 
Lord  fed  them  in  the  wilderness,  but  that  was  all. 
He  who  had  been  in  the  wilderness  alone  could  say 
of  it,  ''  I  know  its  taste."  When  the  people  were 
despising  it  as  light  food,*  in  touching  appeal  to  us 
the  Lord  through  the  historian  describes  its  taste. 
We  can  little  indeed  describe  a  taste ;  only  at  all 
by  comparing  it  to  some  other  familiar  one,  and  so 
here:  ''its  taste  was  as  the  taste  of  fresJi  oil!' — the 
ministry  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  but  in  another  place, 
"it  was  like  wafers  made  with  honey:  "  that  speaks 
of  Him  whom  the  Holy  Ghost  declares  to  us. 


PERGAMOS.  131 

The  land  promised  to  Israel  was  described  in  its 
riches  as  a  "  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey."  It 
is  the  figure  of  natural  sweetness ;  very  sweet,  but 
not  to  be  partaken  of  too  freely,  nor  allowed  to  be 
put  into  that  which  was  offered  to  God.  But  the 
manna  was  not  honey,  and  though  having  the  sweet- 
ness of  it,  could  be  fed  upon  continually.  All  the 
sweetness  of  human  affection  and  intimacy  is  found 
in  the  "  Son  of  Man,"  but  with  no  element  of  corrupt- 
ibility in  it.  Honey  easily  ferments  and  sours,  but 
in  this  sweet  intimacy  there  is  absolute  stability:  it 
is  a  love  which  can  be  relied  on  at  all  times,  where 
the  human  has  become  one  with  the  divine, — the 
divine  makes  itself  realized  in  what  we  can  appre- 
hend and  enter  into  as  most  truly  human. 

This  is  the  taste ;  but  to  know  it,  you  must  taste 
it.  No  description  will  convey  it  rightly  to  you ; 
and  to  know  the  grace  of  Christ's  humiliation,  you 
must  have  been  in  the  wilderness,  and  there  learned 
to  say,  ''AH  my  fresh  springs  are  in  Thee."  If  "a 
brother  is  born  for  adversity,"  it  is  only  adversity 
that  can  rightly  make  you  know  that  "  brother."  In 
the  land,  amid  all  its  glories,  the  manna  was  "  the 
hidden  manna."  In  the  wilderness  it  was  not  hid- 
den ;  and  to  those  who  had  gone  the  journey 
through  the  wilderness,  the  manna,  even  in  the 
land,  was  not  really  hidden.  In  the  glory  of  heaven 
we  shall  know  in  the  Man,  Christ  Jesus,  some  steps 
(and  surely  wonderful  ones)  of  His  surpassing 
condescension ;  nay,  a  ''  Lamb,  as  it  had  been  slain," 
will  call  forth  the  unceasing  homage  of  all  there ; 
but  the  manna  gives  the  personal  application  of 
this  grace  to  a  need  which  in  heaven  will  no  longer 
exist:  it  must  be  enjoyed  there  as  knowledge 
gained  in  quite  other  circumstances.    And  here  the 


132  PRESENT  THINGS,    ETC. 

wilderness  will  at  last  yield  its  harvests  to  us,  the 
desert  left  behind  will  blossom  as  the  rose. 

For  how  will  those  spiritual  experiences  so  full 
of  joy  to  us  here  bloom  in  the  sunlight  of  eternity 
into  glorious  recollections,  when  all  that  hinders 
shall  be  forever  removed ;  when  the  divine  ways 
shall  be  seen  in  all  their  holiness,  all  their  wisdom, 
all  their  grace !  Our  senses  are  here  at  the  best  so 
dull,  the  power  of  the  Spirit  so  little  known,  Christ 
is  after  all  so  little  in  His  transcendent  beauty  en- 
joyed !  Then,  face  to  face  with  His  glory,  seeing 
Him  as  He  is,  and  able  to  measure  somewhat  truly 
the  depths  of  His  descent  from  the  heights  before 
us,  how  will  the  King  in  His  beauty,  our  blest 
Lord  and  Saviour,  be  revealed  ! 

But  it  is  time  to  turn  round  upon  ourselves,  is  it 
not?  and  to  ask  of  ourselves,  How  much  material 
for  this  joy  hereafter  are  we  gathering  here?  And 
this  suggests  another  question:  How  much  need 
have  we  of  Christ  day  by  day?  how  much  hunger 
and  thirst  have  we  after  Him?  These  are  very 
strong  terms,  as  they  are  evidently  also  the  terms 
of  Scripture.  All  the  labor  of  man  is  for  the  mouth. 
Hunger  and  thirst  are  controlling  things.  Yet 
says  the  Lord,  "  Labor  not  for  the  meat  that  perish- 
eth,  but  for  that  meat  which  endureth  unto  ever- 
lasting life."  Do  we  indeed  by  comparison  not 
labor  for  the  one  as  we  labor  for  the  other?  and 
which  one  is  it — in  calm,  sober,  reality — that  we 
labor  for? 

We  have  Hfe,  perhaps, — eternal  Hfe, — salvation. 
Blessed  to  have  these.  With  the  rest  thus  gained, 
have  we  started  for  the  goal  outside  the  world?  or 
are  we  practically  living  much  as  others  in  it, — the 
days  filled  up  with  a  routine  of  things  imposed  by 


PERGAMOS.  133 

the  various  masters  (customs,  men's  thoughts  of  us, 
the  claims  of  society,  and  what  not)  which  rule 
there?  It  is  one  thing  or  other;  outside  the  world, 
and  in  opposition  to  it,  or  in  it,  and  floating  with 
its  stream. 

In  this  last  case,  there  will  either  be  no  felt  need, 
or  none  that  Christ  can  be  counted  on  to  meet. 
Much  may  be  pleaded  as  to  duties,  which  are 
merely  artificial,  and  untruly  covered  with  so  fair 
a  name.  But  whatever  may  be  the  plea,  the  daily 
need  and  ministry  of  Christ  is  a  thing  unknown. 
Great  needs  may  demand  Him,  but  life  is  not  made 
up  of  these. 

Briefly  to  consider  now,  however,  the  second 
part  of  the  promise — the  "white  stone": — 

The  two  parts  of  the  promise  are  inseparably 
connected  with  one  another.  The  appreciation  of 
Christ  by  the  soul  is  the  necessary  basis  of  His 
answering  approbation.  The  white  stone  speaks, 
as  has  been  said,  of  this  approbation.  It  was  the 
token  of  approval,  dropped  by  voters  into  the  urn 
of  old,  with  the  name  of  the  candidate  approved 
upon  it.  But  the  name  here  is  a  new  name,  known 
only  by  Him  who  gives  and  by  him  who  receives  it. 

The  name,  in  Scripture,  is  always  significant  and 
descriptive  of  the  one  who  bears  it.  To  know 
God's  name  is  just  to  know  what  He  is,  to  know 
His  character ;  and  the  new  name  here  speaks  of 
the  character  for  Christ  of  him  upon  whom  it  is 
conferred,  some  character  which  He  approves.  It 
is  a  peculiar  link  between  the  Lord  and  the  one  ap- 
proved, a  peculiar  something  that  we  are  for  Him. 

It  implies  some  trial,  as  the  former  part  of  the 
promise,  and  speaks  of  His  estimate  of  how  it  has 


134  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

been  endured, — of  something  especially  noted  as 
pleasing  to  Himself.  It  is  not  publicly  noted  or 
rewarded,  however.  Such  rewards,  of  course,  there 
are;  but  this  is  anothr^  and  a  deeper  thing.  Still 
more  than  the  hidden  manna  is  it  an  individual 
jo}^  not  shared  by  the  general  company  of  the 
redeemed, — the  one  secret  link,  as  it  would  seem, 
between  the  Lord  and  the  individual  saint. 

Is  it  worth  seeking,  this  approbation  of  His?  Is 
any  thing  else  in  comparison?  Is  it  not  marvelous 
that  we  can  barter  the  priceless  eternal  joys  for 
things  which  perish  in  the  using,  even  if  they  did 
not  also  entail  upon  the  soul  a  feebleness  from 
which  oftentimes  there  is  here  no  recovery.  We 
pity  the  inebriate,  possessed  by  his  passion  for 
what  rivets  upon  the  ever-increasing  load  which 
will  at  last  destroy  him ;  but  oh  what  sorrow  should 
we  have  for  the  Nazarites  of  God,  endowed  with 
the  limitless  possession  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  to 
know  the  things  that  are  freely  given  to  us  of  God, 
yet  drunk  with  the  spirit  of  the  world.  His  enemy, 
and  squandering  the  precious  gifts  of  God  for  the 
husks  of  the  swineherd !  We  have  no  words  that 
are  worthy  or  of  power  to  rebuke  it;  but  let  us 
hear  the  apostle: — 

"Ye  adulterers  and  adulteresses,  know  ye  not 
that  the  friendship  of  the  world  is  enmity  with 
God  ?  Wherefore,  whosoever  will  be  a  friend  of 
the  world  is  the  enemy  of  God." 

"  Love  not  the  world,  neither  the  things  that  are 
in  the  world.  .  .  .  For  all  that  is  in  the  world,  the 
lust  of  the  flesh,  and  the  lust  of  the  eyes,  and  the 
pride  of  life,  is  not  of  the  Father,  but  is  of  the  world. 
And  the  world  passeth  away,  and  the  lust  thereof; 
but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  God  abideth  forever," 


THYATIRA.  135 

"  Wherefore  awake,  thou  that  sleepest,  and  arise 
from  the  dead,  and  Christ  shall  give  thee  light." 

"  For  ye  are  all  the  children  of  the  light,  and  the 
children  of  the  day :  we  are  not  of  the  night,  nor 
of  darkness.  Therefore  let  us  not  sleep,  as  do 
others ;  but  let  us  watch  and  be  sober.  For  they 
that  sleep  sleep  in  the  night,  and  they  that  are 
drunken  are  drunken  in  the  night;  but  let  us,  who 
are  of  the  day,  be  sober,  putting  on  the  breastplate 
of  faith  and  love;  and  for  a  helmet,  the  hope  of 
salvation.  For  God  has  not  appointed  us  unto 
wrath,  but  to  obtain  salvation  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  who  died  for  us,  that,  whether  we 
wake  or  sleep,  we  should  live  together  with  Him'' 

Yes,  and  that  life  is  now  begun  with  us;  the 
eternal  life  has  for  us  begun.  May  the  words  ring 
in  our  ears  at  least  until  they  lay  hold  completely 
of  our  hearts  and  lives :  "  To  him  that  overcometh 
will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden  manna,  and  will 
give  him  a  white  stone,  and  on  the  stone  a  new 
name  written,  which  no  man  knoweth  saving  he 
who  receiveth  it." 

*' Overcometh" — not  in  the  world  merely,  but 
now  in  the  church;  not  in  circumstances  in  which 
he  is  not,  but  in  the  precise  circumstances  in  which 
he  is; — "overcometh:"  do  you,  do  I,  know  well, 
and  from  quite  familiar  experience,  what  it  is  to 
overcome  ? 

Thy  at  ir  a  :    the  Reign  of  the  World-Church, 

(Rev.  ii.  18-29.) 

Our  course  has  been  hitherto  continually  down- 
ward. The  church  to  which  we  have  now  come 
forms  no  exception  to  this  rule,  and  in  a  certain 
sense  it  is  the  end  of  the  course  that  we  reach 


136  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

in  it.  In  Thyatira,  our  eyes  are  no  more  toward 
the  past,  but  toward  the  future — the  coming  of 
the  Lord :  there  is  no  more  the  call  to  repentance 
and  doing  the  first  works;  the  word  is  now,  "I 
gave  her  space  to  repent,  and  she  did  not  repent." 
The  opportunity  of  repentance  is  therefore  over: 
henceforth  there  can  only  be  judgment — judgment 
which  has  accumulated  terribly  during  the  long 
delay :  "  I  will  cast  her  into  a  bed,  and  them  that 
commit  adultery  with  her  into  great  tribulation, 
except  they  repent  of  her  works;  and  I  will  kill 
her  children  with  death." 

But  on  this  account  we  find  a  remnant  in  Thya- 
tira distinguished  from  that  upon  which  judgment 
is  to  fall ;  a  remnant  guilty  indeed  for  their  tolera- 
tion of  what  the  Lord  has  devoted  to  destruction, 
but  which  He  cannot  for  a  moment  confound, 
nevertheless,  with  it.  This  remnant  is  exhorted  to 
hold  fast  until  He  comes.  ''  And  to  him  that  over- 
cometh,  and  keepeth  My  works  unto  the  end,  to 
him  will  I  give  power  over  the  nations,  and  he 
shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron  ;  as  the  vessels 
of  a  potter  shall  they  be  broken  to  pieces,  even  as 
I  received  of  My  Father ;  and  I  will  give  him  the 
morning  star." 

We  have  reached,  then,  in  this  line,  the  final 
development,  as  I  have  said.  Thyatira  goes  on, 
substantially,  unchanged  until  the  coming  of  the 
Lord. 

What,  then,  is  the  character  of  Thyatira?  It  is 
characterized  by  the  suffering  of  one  who  calls 
herself  a  prophetess, — that  is,  claims  for  herself 
divine  inspiration, — and  who  by  her  name,  Jezebel, 
carries  us  back  to  the  idolatry  of  the  worst  days  of 
Israel,  and  the  bitter  persecution  of  the  saints  and 


THYATIRA.  1 37 

servants  of  God  by  her  who,  stranger  as  she  was, 
exercised  royal  authority  in  the  midst  of  the  pro- 
fessed people  of  the  Lord.  "And  she  teacheth  and 
seduceth  My  servants  to  commit  fornication,  and 
to  eat  things  sacrificed  to  idols." 

We  have  already  compared  the  opening  parables 
of  the  thirteenth  of  Matthew  with  the  first  three  of 
these  addresses  to  4:he  Asiatic  churches,  and  we 
cannot  but  be  here  most  powerfully  impressed 
with  the  appearance  of  the  "  woman  "  alike  in  the 
fourth  parable  of  this  series  and  the  fourth  address 
to  which  we  have  come.  It  is  a  new  figure  in  each 
case.  When  we  come  to  examine  it,  we  are  made 
to  realize  without  any  doubt  that  the  two  women 
are  in  fact  but  one.  And  that  in  spite  of  various 
and  discordant  interpretations  which  have  been 
given  to  these  passages.  Let  us  look,  then,  first  at 
the  parable,  and  then  compare  it  with  our  Revela- 
tion chapter.  They  are  both  the  words  of  our 
Lord  Himself. 

"Again,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto 
leaven,  which  a  woman  took,  and  hid  in  three 
measures  of  meal,  till  the  whole  was  leavened." 

The  common  interpretation  of  this  we  are  all| 
familiar  with.  It  is  applied  to  the  universal  spread ' 
and  final  triumph  of  the  gospel,  which,  diffusive  as 
leaven  in  its  nature,  is  thus  to  make  its  way  among 
the  nations  of  the  earth,  and  subject  them  to  its 
beneficent  influence.  And  at  first  sight  there  is 
much  plausibility  in  this  view.  It  may  be  urged 
for  it  that  if  the  kingdom  of  heaven  be  like  unto 
leaven,  this  settles  the  question  of  the  leaven  itself 
as  to  be  taken  in  a  good  sense,  and  then  undoubt- 
edly it  is  the  kingdom  which  spreads  throughout 
the  world.     But  a  briei  examination  will  assuredly 


138  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

I  remove  all   the   appearance   of  truth  .  in  this,  and 
''j  force    upon    us    an    entirely    different    conclusion 

from  the  common  one. 

^      In  the  first  place,  to  meet  the  strongest  point  of 

vj  the  argument : — is  the   kingdom    of   heaven    here 

intended  to  find  its  symbol  in  the  leaven  itself? 

At  first  sight,  it  may  be  granted  that  it  seems  so, 

but  if  w^e  compare  the  style  of  similar  parables,  we 

shall  more  than  hesitate  to  assert  this.   To  take  the 

second  parable  of  the  same  chapter,  is  the  kingdom 

,  of  heaven  meant  to  find  its  likeness  in  the  Sower 

/  of  the  good  seed  ?  or  rather,  is  it  not  in  the  whole 

story  of  the  different  seed,  and  of  the  issue  ?  Again, 

in  the  fifth,  if  the  treasure  hid  in  the  field  be  the 

kingdom,  and  not  the  man  who  finds  it, — yet  in  the 

sixth  it  would  be  not  the  pearl  itself,  but  the  man 

who  finds  it. 

The  truth  is,  it  is  the  whole  parable  that  is  the 
likeness,  and  not  any  one  point  in  it ;  and  then  also 
this  does  not  decide  that  the  meaning  shall  be 
good  rather  than  bad :  for  the  kingdom  is  not  as  it 
will  be — set  up  in  power  and  in  the  hands  of  Him 
( whose  right  it  is,  but  as  now  with  the  King  absent, 
/  intrusted  to  the  hands  of  others.  Thus,  while  men 
sleep,  the  enemy  can  sow  his  tares  among  the  wheat, 
and  the  proof  is  conclusive  that  in  the  first  three 
parables  there  is  a  progressive  growth  of  evil :  the 
first  showing  the  partial  failure  of  the  good  seed ; 
the  second,  the  success  of  the  bad  seed,  the  enemy's 
work;  the  third,  the  tree-like  worldly  power  which 
results  from  the  sowing  of  the  least  of  all  seeds ; 
and  the  fowls  of  the  air,  the  evil  powers  of  the  first 


parable,  securely  lodged  within  it.  If,  then,  the 
fourth  parable  shows  the  universal  spread  of  the 
gospel,  the  whole  course  of  things  is  changed,  and 


V 


fHYATIRA.  139 

the  most  perplexing  contradiction  arises,  not  only 
to  the  view  presented  in  what  goes  before,  but  also 
to  the  view  given  by  Scripture  as  a  whole. 

On  the  other  hand,  simply  interpret  Scripture 
by  Scripture,  and  not  only  is  there  consistency 
throughout,  but  there  is  found  a  denniteness  and 
precision  of  meaning  which  is  itself  a  convincing 
proof  of  its  truth.  Every  part  of  the  parable  be- 
comes full  of  light.  We  have  not,  as  before,  to 
omit  or  interpret  at  hazard  essential  features  of  it, 
(as  the  three  measures  of  meal,  for  instance,)  and  to 
claim  in  defense  of  it  that  ''  no  parable  goes  on  all 
fours,"  though  this  may  be  really  true,  instinct  as 
it  is  with  a  life  higher  than  bestial,  as  with  a  spirit 
more  than  human. 

There  should  be  no  question  that  the  key  of  the         J 
parable  has  been  rightly  found  in  the  second  chap-    '^ 
ter  of  Leviticus.     The  "three  measures  of  meal"   /.     > 
refer  to  the  ''fine  flour"  of  the  7neal-offering,  as  the  i- 
Revised  Version  very  well  styles  it,  into  which  the 
leaven  was  never  to  be  put  (Lev.  ii.  1 1).    The  essen- 
tial point  is,  that  the  woman  is  doing  what  zvas 
expressly  forbidden  to  be  done.     This  at  once  brings 
the  similitude  of  the  kingdom  here  into  harmony 
with  what  has  gone  before.     The  process  of  dete- 
rioration which  we  see  going  on  in  the  first  three 
only  assumes  in  the  fourth  a  character  of  more  de- 
cided evil.      For  the  meal-offering  is  Christ  the 
bread  of  life,  the  food  of  the  priestly  people  of  God 
and  the  mixture  of  the  leaven  means  the  adultera 
tion  of  Christ  as  this  at  the  hands  of  the  woman, 
the  professing  church. 

We  must,  for  its  importance,  look  at  this  more 
closely,  however.  And  here  the  feast  of  unleavened 
bread,  so  peremptorily  insisted   on  in  connection 


;f 


I40  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

with  the  passover-ieast,  shows  at  once  the  perfect 
famiUarity  of  the  figure  to  the  mind  of  the  Jews 
whom  our  Lord  was  here  addressing,  and  the  way 
in  which  it  could  scarcely  fail  to  be  apprehended 
by  them.  Leaven  in  meal  was  to  them  undoubt- 
edly a  thing  of  evil  significance  and  not  of  good. 
The  positive  word,  ''  For  whosoever  eateth  leav- 
ened bread  from  the  first  day  until  the  seventh  day, 
that  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from  Israel"  (Ex.  xii.  15), 
was  well  known  and  rigidly  held  by  the  mass  of 
the  people  in  our  Lord's  day.  The  ordinance  as  to 
the  meal-offering  was  scarcely  less  familiar  to  them, I 
and  the  prohibition  of  leaven  in  any  offering  to  the' 
Lord  made  with  fire  was  very  clear  in  attaching  to] 
leaven  as  a  type  the  thought  of  evil  abhorrent  toi 
the  Holy  One. 

The  general  use  of  leaven  in  Scripture,  it  is 
allowed,  perfectly  corresponds  with  this.  There  is 
no  exception,  if  it  be  not  found  in  the  passage  be- 
before  us ;  and  here,  the  connection  of  the  parable 
with  what  precedes  necessitates  an  evil  significance. 

But  there  is  a  specific  application  of  the  figure 
by  the  Lord  Himself,  and  in  this  gospel  which  de- 
fines it  in  a  way  completely  in  agreement  with  the 
parable  before  us:  He  applies  it  to  ''the  doctrine  of 
the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees"  (chap.  xvi.  12). 

Now  Christ  as  the  food  of  our  souls  is  ministered 
to  us  in  the  way  of  doctrine.  The  Word  is  con- 
stantly, in  Scripture,  spoken  of  as  food  to  be  eaten, 
or  appropriated  by  faith  to  the  personal  need. 
Christ  is  the  ''  Truth,"  and  in  the  truth  w^e  appre- 
hend Him.  The  doctrine  of  the  Pharisees  and 
Sadducees  is  error  presented  in  its  common  types 
of  an  external  and  self-righteous  formalism,  or  of 
an  unbelieving  rationalism.     The  leaven  in  either 


THYATIRA.  I4I 

case  is  the  rejection  of  Christ  as  God  presents  Him 
and  as  faith  enjoys  Him.  If  to  these  we  add  what 
in  the  gospel  of  Mark(viii.  15) is  added — "the  leaven 
of  Herod,"  or  the  court-party,  then  we  have  fully 
the  great  triumvirate  of  evil — the  flesh,  the  devil, 
and  the  world — as  corrupting  influences  of  the 
truth  of  Christ. 

But  why  ''three  measures''  of  meal?  Upon  any 
other  interpretation  of  the  meal,  I  know  not.  We 
find  the  same  thing  in  the  provision  made  by 
Abram  for  his  heavenly  guests;  and  both  there 
and  here,  if  we  see  Christ  before  us,  it  is  not  hard 
to  realize  the  meaning.  It  is  the  Son  of  Man  who 
gives  us  the  ''meat  which  endureth  unto  everlast- 
ing life;"  as  man,  He  becomes  our  necessary  food: 
but  what  is  the  measure  of  the  ''  Man,  Christ  Jesus  "  ? 
Three  is  the  divine  measure,  the  number  of  the 
Trinity — of  the  fullness  of  God ;  and  ''  in  Him 
dwelleth  all  the  fullness  of  the  Godhead  bodily." 
Lesser  or  lower  measure  would  not  fit  the  truth 
presented  to  us  here. 

Into  these  "  three  measures  of  meal "  the  woman,  ^p^ 
then,  is  putting  leaven.     But  who  is  the  woman?       ^ 
Undoubtedly  the  Church  is  in  Scripture  symbol-  *'^ 
ized  by  a  woman,  and  this  whether  it  be  the  true 
or  the  nominal  professing  body,  which  so  readily 
passes  into  the  shape  of  the  woman  ''  Babylon,"  the 
false  church  of  this  book  of  Revelation.     Between 
these  two,  in  view  of  the  other  features  of  the  par- 
able, there  is  not  the  least  difficulty  in  deciding  as 
to  which  is  before  us.     In  the  preceding  parable, 
we  have  already  found  the  Babylonish  character, — 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  becoming  in  its  earthly 
administratioi)  of  the  pattern  of  the  kingdoms  of 
the   world,  the  figure  of  the  tree  corresponding 


142  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

Specifically,  moreover,  to  that  under  which  the 
power  of  Nebuchadnezzar  is  depicted.  Thus  here 
it  is  the  reigning  world-church,  which  as  possess- 
ing empire  must  make  its  laws  and  promulge  its 
doctrines.  Necessarily  the  leaven  comes  then  into 
the  meal.  All  features  cohere  in  a  picture  startling 
in  its  vividness. 
f  The  woman  has  in  her  hands  the  doctrine  of 
t  Christ — the  Christian  doctrine;  she  has  authority 
over  it;  she  can  knead  and  mould  it  at  her  will; 
she  can  add  her  traditions,  her  unwritten  law,  equal 
in  authority  to  the  written  Word ;  she  can  inter- 
pret and  fix  its  meanings.  Here  is  the  leaven :  it  is 
the  leaven  of  Church-teaching,  the  essential  error 
which  wherever  found,  in  whatever  modified  forms, 
quenches  the  Spirit  of  God,  deforms  and  mutilates 
the  Word  of  God,  gives  the  conscience  another 
master  than  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  does  all 
this  cunningly  in  His  name  and  by  His  authority, 
so  that  the  souls  of  His  people  even  bow  to  the 
forged  decrees  and  shudder  at  the  thought  of  re- 
sistance. For  this  is  "  Mystery,  Babylon  the  Great, 
the  Mother  of  harlots  and  abominations  of  the 
earth ; "  and  her  merchants  are  the  great  men  of 
the  earth,  and  by  her  sorceries  are  all  nations 
^  deceived. 

Turn  we  now  to  this  other  picture  that  we  have 
in  the  address  to  Thyatira, — a  picture  by  the  same 
master-hand, — and  put  side  by  side  the  woman  of 
the  fourth  parable  and  ;the  woman  Jezebel  of  the 
fourth  Asiatic  church.  Who  will  deny  that  they 
are  one?  This  Jezebel,  who  calls  herself  a  proph- 
etess, and  teaches  and  seduces  Christ's  servants  to 
commit   fornication   and'  eat   things  sacrificed    to 


THYATIRA.  I43 

idols,  is  she  any  other  than  the  leaven-hiding  wom- 
an of  the  parable  "  writ  large" ?  or  than  the  woman 
Babylon  of  the  later  character?  But  we  will  take 
up  the  address  in  its  due  order;  we  will  listen  to 
Christ's  words  as  the  Spirit  of  truth  has  given  them 
to  us;  we  would  not  miss  the  least  detail,  or  the 
impression  that  the  "due  order"  should  make 
upon  us. 

"  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Thyatira 
write.  These  things  saith  the  Son  of  God,  who  hath 
His  eyes  like  unto  a  flame  of  fire,  and  His  feet  are 
like  fine  brass."  It  is  no  longer,  as  in  Pergamos, 
"  He  that  hath  the  sharp  sword  with  two  edges." 
That  sword  is  the  Word  of  God  as  the  word  of 
penetrating  judgment;  for  "the  word  that  I  have 
spoken,"  says  the  Lord,  "the  same  shall  judge  [him 
that  receiveth  them  not,]  at  the  last  day  "  (Jno.  xii. 
48).  And  so,  in  the  nineteenth  chapter  of  this  book, 
men  are  slain  with  the  sword  proceeding  out  of 
His  mouth. 

But  in  the  meanwhile  the  Word  precedes  and 
anticipates  this  judgment,  and  in  Pergamos  it  is 
still  there  to  appeal  to,  to  warn  of  coming  wrath, 
to  separate  between  joints  and  marrow,  and  soul 
and  spirit,  and  bring  men  into  the  presence  of  Him 
with  whom  we  have  to  do,  before  whom  all  things 
are  naked  and  opened.  Plenty  of  perverters  of  the 
Word  there  are  too  in  Pergamos,  as  we  have  seen ; 
but  the  Word  is  also  there  witnessing  for  itself 
against  them.  In  Thyatira  it  remains  no  longer: 
we  hear  of  Jezebel's  doctrine,  and  the  word  of  the 
living  prophets,  clearer  and  more  decisive,  as  her 
followers  claim,  has  superseded  practically  the 
Scriptures.  With  the  Church's  word  men  may  be 
more  safely  trusted  than  with  the  word  of  God.      ■' 


144  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

Thus  it  is  no  more  ''  He  that  hath  the  sharp 
sword  with  two  edges,"  but  the  *'Son  of  God," 
who  has  to  assert  His  authority  as  a  divine  Being 
over  the  Church,  rising  into  a  sphere  where  she 
dare  not  pretend  to  be.  With  Him  alone  are  the 
"eyes  as  a  flame  of  fire,"  the  really  infallible  and 
holy  insight,  which  the  ''feet  like  fine  brass"  ac- 
company with  irresistible  judgment. 

And  He  needs  to  assert  His  claim,  for  she  who 
claims  to  be  His  bride,  in  her  own  self-assertion, 
is  doing  what  she  can  to  lower  it.  She  has  taken 
the  grace  of  His  incarnation  to  subject  Him  to  His 
human  mother;  or  if  she  remember  His  divine 
title,  it  is  to  raise  Mary  into  the  ''  Mother  of  God." 
Systematically  Rome  degrades  Him  amid  a  crowd 
of  saintly  mediators  and  intercessors  with  God,  all 
more  accessible  than  Himself,  foremost  of  whom  is 
this  ''queen  of  heaven"  with  her  woman's  heart, 
more  tender  than  His ! 
I  Here,  then,  He  speaks  as  Son  of  God  to  those 
)  who  would  confound  the  Church's  authority  with 
i  His.  Has  she  His  eyes  of  fire?  Has  she  His  feet 
of  brass?  It  that  which  she  binds  on  earth  is  bound 
in  heaven,  will  she  bind  with  her  decrees  the  throne 
of  God  itself?  Will  His  all-conscious  wisdom 
stutter  in  her  infant's  speech?  or  His  holiness 
attach  itself  to  error  and  frailty  and  sin  ? 

It  is  well  known,  and  shortly  to  come  before 
us,  how  Rome  escapes  from  such  perplexity ;  and 
it  is  safe  to  assert  there  is  no  other  way.  But 
to  all  assertors  of  Church-authority  alike,  the 
Lord  here  maintains  His  distinctive  place.  He 
alone  is  the  "  Son  of  God,''  in  a  place  unapproach- 
able by  His  people,  and  His  glory  will  He  not 
give   to   another.       He   alone    is    the    governing 


THYATIRA.  I45 

Head;  the  Church  His  body,  in  a  wondrous  re- 
lationship to  Him  as  that,  but  perfectly  distinct 
and  wholly  subject. 

As  "Son  of  God,"  also,  He  now  sits  upon  the 
throne — His  Father's  throne, — that  of  pure  deity, 
which  no  creature  could  possibly  share.  His  words 
to  Laodicea  afterward  bring  out  the  force  of  the 
assertion  here, — ''  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I 
grant  to  sit  with  Me  in  My  throne,  even  as  1  also 
overcame,  and  am  set  down  with  My  Father  in 
His  throne"  (chap.  iii.  21).  As  Son  of  man  the 
apostle  has  seen  Him  in  the  vision  with  which 
the  book  commences;  as  Son  of  man  He  will 
presently  take  a  throne  which  He  can  share  with 
men.  His  redeemed.  Till  then,  they  are  in  the 
field  of  conflict,  to  overcome  as  He  overcame, 
and  this  is  the  manifest  answer  to  the  dream  of 
authority  in  the  world  which  in  Thyatira  possesses 
the  false  church.  Rome  would  reign  before  Christ 
reigns,  or  reign  upon  the  throne  of  God  with  Him. 
Thus  His  claim  to  be  the  Son  of  God  is  here  of  the 
greatest  possible  significance. 

This  is  as  to  authority  over  the  world,  and  in  this 
way,  of  course, ''  whatsoever  ye  shall  bind  on  earth 
shall  be  bound  in  heaven  "  cannot  possibly  apply. 
The  passage  in  Matthew  connects  it  with  the  main- 
tenance of  discipline  among  the  saints,  with  care 
for  the  holiness  which  His  people  are  to  exhibit. 
It  is  not  founded  on  relationship  to  Him,  save  as 
disciples  to  a  Master,  and  then  of  obedience  to 
Him  which  they  are  under  responsibility  to  en- 
force. In  the  fulfillment  of  this  responsibility  He 
is  surely  with  them:  what  they  bind  He  binds; 
but  apart  from  His  word  they  bind  nothing,  nor 
are   they   even   the   authorized    exponents    of    it. 


146  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

Themselves  subject  to  that  Word,  He  is  for  them 
^  in  all  true  subjection.  It  is  the  Word  that  has  au- 
thority, not  they ;  and  let  it  be  shown  that  the 
Word  has  not  guided  them,  then  Christ  cannot 
bind  upon  His  people  insiibjcction  to  the  Word:  it 
would  be  to  be  a  party  to  His  own  dishonor. 

And  all  claim  of  ecclesiastical  authority  other 
than  this  is  real  rebellion  against  Christ  Himself. 
Here  as  elsewhere,  "  no  man  can  serve  two  mas- 
ters." The  conscience  is  to  be  before  God  alone, 
and  this  is  a  first  principle  of  all  holiness,  all  mo- 
rality. Swerve  from  it  by  a  hair's  breadth,  right  is 
no  longer  right,  nor  wrong  wrong;  all  lines  are 
blurred;  the  unsteady  tremulousness  of  the  soul 
warns  but  too  surely  of  the  approach  of  spiritual 
paralysis. 

Yes,  the  "eyes  of  fire"  are  still  with  the  "Son  of 
God  "  alone.  Let  us  take  heed  how  we  hear  and 
what !  But  clear  and  holy  as  they  are,  they  are  the 
eyes  of  the  priestly  Son  of  Man,  full  of  an  infinite 
pity  and  tenderness  none  can  fathom.  How  blessed 
to  have  to  do  with  Him !  How  full  of  joy  to  stand 
before  Him !  And  even  in  Thyatira — amid  the 
awful  corruption  of  that  "mystery  of  iniquity," 
Rome, — still  His  words  to  His  own  recognize  all 
He  can: — 

"  I  know  thy  works  and  love  and  faith  and  service, 
and  thy  patience,  and  thy  last  works  to  be  more 
than  the  first."  We  must  remember  that  a  remnant 
is  distinctly  separated  in  Thyatira,  and  that  neither 
Jezebel  nor  her  children  are  included  here.  Then 
it  will  not  be  hard  to  realize  this  testimony  on  the 
Lord's  part  to  what  He  has  seen  m  them.  Little, 
too,  do  we  know  of  the  hidden  lives  of  those  who 
amid   the   assumption   and   pride   of   the  days  of 


THYATIRA.  I47 

Romish  tyranny  walked  humbly  and  in  secret  with 
their  God.  Comforting  it  is  to  realize  how  fully 
Christ  could  appreciate  and  how  openly  He  will 
yet  acknowledge  them.  Like  the  devil-coats  put 
upon  their  victims  by  the  Inquisi4;ion  of  old,  how 
many  falsehoods  have  besmirched  the  memories 
often  of  those  who  in  the  day  of  manifestation  will 
receive  their  crown  of  righteousness  from  the  Lord 
the  righteous  Judge !  Of  how  many  Naboths  has 
Jezebel  suborned  her  witnesses  that  they  have 
"blasphemed  God  and  the  king,"  because  they 
would  not  surrender  their  inheritance  for  a  price  ! 
Here  is  the  record,  that  they  are  not  forgotten, 
those  nameless  ones,  or  of  dishonored  names: 
"works  and  love  and  faith,"  how  tested!  "and 
service,"  amid  what  discouragement!  "and  thy 
patience,"  marked  and  emphasized  in  the  language 
used, — that  long  endurance ! 

'And  then  comes,  last  of  all,  that  sweet  witness  of 
real  divine  energy,  which  does  not  flag  as  what  is 
merely  human  does, — "and  tJiy  last  works  to  be  more 
than  the  first r  Not  simply  the  same  as  the  first, — 
that  would  be  much  to  say,  as  it  should  seem,  amid 
all  the  opposition,  continuous,  unrelenting,  of  all 
that  held  power  on  earth.  But  here  it  is  ''more 
than  the  first,"  for  the  works  recorded  are  fruits  of 
the  life  eternal,  which,  implanted  within  us,  is  a 
growth,  a  living  energy,  which,  thank  God!  can 
burst  all  bands  and  defy  all  imprisonment.  We 
have  all  remarked  how  the  might  of  a  living  tree 
will  break  up  and  burst  through  the  stones  around 
its  roots,  as  it  forces  its  way  up  into  the  light  of 
heaven.  How  much  more  will  the  energy  of  that 
eternal  life  whose  nature  is  spirit,  and  which  the 
Spirit  of  God  sustains,  develop  itself  in  the  face  of 


148  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

whatever  hindrances.  ''  They  go  from  strength  to 
strength"  is  said  of  God's  pilgrims  through  the 
valley  of  Baca ;  for  it  is  Christ's  strength  perfected 
in  human  weakness. 

If  we  study  the  record  which  we  have  of  those 
dark  days  also,  we  shall  be  inclined  too  to  believe 
that  there  was  in  the  line  of  those  patient  witnesses, 
looked  at  as  a  whole,  a  growth  in  vigor  as  the  days 
went  on.  They  come  more  into  the  light;  they 
take  bolder  place ;  the  coming  Reformation  has  its 
precursors;  the  torch  of  truth,  as  it  drops  from  one 
hand,  is  taken  up  by  another.  Above  all,  separa- 
tion becomes  more  decided, — a  great  point,  one  of 
the  greatest;  for  we  see  that  what  the  Lord  has 
against  these  saints  of  His  is  declared  to  be  their 
tolerance  of  the  woman  Jezebel.  The  evil,  it  is  true, 
was  rampant,  and  might  seem  supreme;  none  the 
less,  but  the  more,  became  the  duty  of  open  testi- 
mony against  it.  It  was  by  such  a  testimony,  in 
the  face  of  overwhelming  odds  naturally,  the 
Reformation  established  itself;  and  where  it  was 
the  Word  openly  preached,  God  rallied  round  it 
defenders  of  it. 

''  Notwithstanding  I  have  against  thee,  that  thou 
sufferest  that  woman  Jezebel,  who  calls  herself  a 
prophetess ;  and  she  teaches  and  seduces  My  serv- 
ants to  commit  fornication,  and  to  eat  things  sacri- 
ficed unto  idols.  And  I  gave  her  space  to  repent 
of  her  fornication,  and  she  will  not  repent." 

Here  is  the  distinctive  evil  of  Thyatira, — an  evil 
so  frightful  that  the  Lord  calls  it  further  on  "the 
depths  of  Satan."  Beyond  it  we  do  not  get  in 
this  direction.  It  closes  the  development  of  the 
Church's  departure  from  God  in  true  succession 
from  its  germ  in  the  beginning.      Afterward,  we 


THYATIRA.  1 49 

find  a  fresh  work  of  God  has  commenced,  although 
it  too  is  shortly,  and   indeed   when  first  it  comes 
before  us,  declined  and  passing.    But  as  the  woman  1 
closes  the  first  series  of  the  parables  of  Matt,  xiii., 
so  does  the  woman  close   the   first  series  of  thel 
Asiatic  churches.     We  shall  speedily  find,  as  has 
been  already  stated,  that  these  two  women  are  in 
fact  one  and  the  same, — the  woman,  "Babylon  the- 
Great,  the  Mother  of  harlots  and  abominations  of. 
the  earth." 

Her  name  is  at  once  significant,  and  is  a  striking 
exemplification  of  the  pregnant  speech  of  Scripture, 
which  with  a  single  word  will  illuminate  a  subject 
with  a  flood  of  light.  The  name,  with  its  attached 
history,  adds  features  to  the  picture  which  carry 
us  far  beyond  the  mere  assembly  in  Asia  to  which 
first  the  Lord  spoke,  and  identically  the  "  woman  " 
in  question  in  the  plainest  way  possible. 

Thus  she  is  described  here  simply  as  one  that 
calls  herself  a  prophetess,  and  the  effect  of  her  false 
prophecy  is  given  as  seducing  to  fornication  and 
idolatry ;  but  the  history  referred  to  by  no  means 
gives  us  Jezebel  as  a  prophetess.  She  is  a  queen, 
and  an  idolatrous  queen,  but  this  the  Jezebel  of 
Thyatira  was  surely  not.  Yet  in  the  promise  to  the 
overcomer  we  have  evident  allusion  to  a  reign  over 
men  on  earth,  which  helps  us  easily  lo  understand 
that  the  thought  of  queenly  power  is  really  meant 
to  be  implied  in  the  name  as  used.  For  the  prom- 
ise, as  we  see  in  all  these  cases,  has  reference  to  the 
state  of  things  in  which  the  overcoming  is  to  be. 
Here  he  who  overcomes  waits  in  fruitful  patience, 
till  he  shall  reign  with  Christ.  How  significant  if 
in  that  scene  which  is  the  full  realization  of  what 
is  in  the  Lord's  mind    here,  the  false  church   is 


ISO  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

reigning!  Babylon,  too,  in  the  after-churches 
reigns  a  queen,  and  thus  these  two  passages  are 
linked  together. 

Babylon  also  is  red  with  the  blood  of  the  saints 
and  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus;  and 
here  again  is  a  character  of  the  woman  which  we 
could  not  expect  to  find  in  the  Thyatiran  assembly. 
But  the  name  ''Jezebel,"  interjected  in  the  address, 
recalls  at  once  to  our  minds  the  persecutor.  And 
we  need  all  this  to  bring  out  the  full  meaning  of 
the  address.  On  the  other  hand,  the  fourth  parable 
of  Matthew  says  nothing  of  the  queen  or  of  the 
persecutor,  while  it  speaks  clearly  of  the  self- 
assumed  prophetess.  Thus  the  address  to  Thya- 
tira  binds  together  these  two  other  prophesies,  and 
the  three  throw  their  concentrated  light  upon  the 
solemn  reality  which  is  presented  to  us. 

Rome  it  surely  is,  drawn  with  the  few  bold 
strokes  of  a  master-pencil, — Rome  as  the  Lord 
Himself  sees  and  judges  it.  Good  it  is,  and 
necessary,  to  take  our  estimate  of  her  from  the 
Word  of  God  itself  rather  than  from  the  judgments 
of  men,  shifting  and  unstable  as  they  have  ever 
proved.  The  judgment  of  God  abides,  and  the 
day  that  is  coming  will  only  afhrm  its  decisions, 
unutterably  solemn  as  indeed  they  are.  How  dare 
we  indulge  the  false  liberality  so  common  in  this 
day  in  presence  of  the  awful  threatenings  of  the 
passage  before  us? 

"  And  I  gave  her  space  to  repent  of  her  fornica- 
tion, and  she  repented  not.  Behold,  I  will  cast  her 
into  a  bed,  and  them  that  commit  adultery  with  her 
into  great  tribulation,  except  they  repent  of  her 
deeds.  And  I  will  kill  her  children  with  death; 
and  all  the  churches  shall  know  that  I  am  He  that 


THYATIRA.  151 

searcheth  the  reins  and  hearts ;  and  I  will  give  to 
every  one  of  you  according  to  your  works." 

Thus  the  pitiless  persecutor  of  God's  people  shall 
find  sure  doom  from  His  hand  at  last;  and  with 
that  judgment  all  heaven  will  be  in  sympathy:  ''I 
heard  as  ft  were  the  voice  of  a  great  multitude  in 
heaven,  saying,  'Halleluiah!  Salvation  and  glory 
and  power  unto  the  Lord  our  God,  for  true  and 
righteous  are  His  judgments ;  for  He  hath  judged 
the  great  whore,  which  did  corrupt  the  earth  with 
her  fornication,  and  hath  avenged  the  blood  of  His 
servants  at  her  hand.'  And  again  they  said, '  Halle- 
luiah ! '   And  her  smoke  riseth  up  forever  and  ever." 

No  true  charity  can  possibly  soften  down  the 
terms  of  divine  judgment  here  pronounced,  but  will 
rather  echo  the  call  of  mercy  in  the  meantime: 
"  Come  out  of  her,  My  people,  that  ye  be  not  par- 
takers of  her  sins,  and  that  ye  receive  not  of  her 
plagues." 

Yet  it  is  quite  possible  to  judge  Rome  without 
hesitation,  and  to  partake,  nevertheless,  in  what  are 
the  works  of  Rome.  We  must  remember,  therefore, 
that  Rome  is  the  "  motJier  of  harlots  and  abomina- 
tions of  the  earth."  Principles  can  be  received  and 
followed  which  are  essentially  Romish,  while  we 
reject  the  full  development  of  them  in  the  canons  of 
the  Council  of  Trent  or  the  creed  of  Pope  Pius  IV. 
The  features  of  popery,  if  carefully  noted  here,  will 
often  be  found  under  the  guise  of  Protestantism. 
And  there  is  a  tendency  in  them  to  reproduce 
themselves  together.  Take  Irvingism,  in  which, 
in  the  most  startling  manner,  all  the  doctrines  of 
popery  (without  the  pope)  have  sprung  up  into  a 
precocious  maturity :  and  here,  even  the  claim  of 
infallibility  is  found,  though  the  pope  is  not:  there 


152  PRESENT  THINGS,    ETC. 

is  the  voice  of  the  woman  calling  herself  a  prophet- 
ess, whether  the  woman's  name  be  "  Jezebel "  or  not. 
But  in  modified  forms,  the  features  of  Rome  may 
be  found  where  there  is  no  pretension  to  infallibility, 
and  none  at  all  to  worldly  supremacy  for  the  Church 
as  such.  Wherever  the  teaching  of  the  Church  is 
maintained  as  authoritative,  though  it  be  over  a 
body  of  Christians  who  make  no  claims  to  catho-* 
licity,  or  to  succession  after  the  Romish  manner, 
and  who  do  not  propose  to  add  to  the  Word  of 
God,  but  to  be  guided  by  it, — still,  even  here  the 
voice  of  the  woman  is  heard,  although  the  woman's 
name  be  certainly  ?iot  *' Jezebel."  Yet  here,  not  only 
the  churches  of  the  Reformation,  but  all  churches 
almost,  stand.  Nay,  it  is  considered  even  that  there 
is  no  sure  guarantee  for  orthodox}^  where  this  is 
not  so.  And  indeed  it  cannot  be  denied  that  the 
abolition  of  creeds  has  been  very  often  loudly  urged 
by  those  who  desired  latitude  as  to  the  most  posi- 
tive doctrines  of  the  Word  itself.  The  deniers  of 
eternal  punishment  have  contended  for  it ;  the  men 
who  put  the  inspiration  of  Scripture  on  the  same 
footing  with  the  inspiration  of  Shakespeare;  the 
people  who  to  retain  Christianity  must  leave  out 
Christ.  All  these,  in  their  various  pleas  against  the 
stiffness  of  a  creed  that  they  refused,  have  furnished 
the  most  convincing  arguments  for  its  necessity. 
Nor  do  I  now  propose  to  deal  with  these  argu- 
ments; they  will  come  before  us  properly  else- 
where. It  is  nevertheless  true  that,  according  to 
Scripture,  the  Church  never  teaches.  God  teaches 
by  His  Spirit,  and  the  one  authoritative  teaching  is 
that  of  the  inspired  Word, — truly  authoritative, 
because  absolute  truth  itself.  This  much  is  true  in 
Jezebel's  false  claim,  that  infallible  teaching  alone 


THYATIRA.  1 53 

can  demand  obedience,  as  alone  it  can  implicit  faith. 
Allow  that  the  guide  may  lead  astray,  and  how  can 
you  require  men  to  follow  her?  ''  If  the  blind  lead 
the  blind,  shall  they  not  both  fall  into  the  ditch?" 

But  the  creeds  are  to  be  submitted  to  because^ 
they  may  be  proved  by  Scripture,  "  by  most  certain  > 
arguments,"  it  is  said.  Well,  if  Scripture  be  so 
certain  and  so  authoritative,  what  need  of  any  thing 
else?  I  believe  indeed  that  it  is  certain  and  all- 
sufficient,  and  thus  the  argument  proves  too  much. 
Why  seek  to  make  certain  what  is  already  so,  or 
give  authority  to  what  is  already  and  only  authori- 
tative? In  so  doing.  Scripture  is  dishonored  in  the 
very  method  by  which  you  would  honor  it.  Its 
own  testimony  is,  that  it  is  "given  by  inspiration 
of  God,  and  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  correction, 
for  reproof,  for  instruction  in  righteousness ;  that 
the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect,  tJiorougJily  fur- 
nished unto  all  good  works."  But  the  authorita- 
tively imposed  creed  actually  takes  away  the 
appeal  to  Scripture,  becoming  itself  the  only  per- 
missible appeal.  If  there  be  error  in  the  creed,  it 
will  have  to  be  maintained  as  carefully  as  the  truth 
in  it.  If  there  be  defect  in  the  creed,  the  Scripture 
cannot  be  allowed  even  to  supplement  it.  It  is,  in 
short,  completely  displaced  from  its  rightful  su- 
premacy over  men.  The  conscience  is  not  allowed 
to  be  before  God,  and  the  most  godly  are  just  those 
who  will  be  forced  most  into  opposition  against  the 
human  rule  thus  substituted  for  the  divine. 

This  we  shall  have  to  look  at  further  at  another 
time,  however.  But  it  is  evident  that  Jezebel  is 
right  thus  far,  in  that  she  connects  her  right  of  rule 
over  the  people  of  God  with  the  infallibility  of  the 
prophetess.     She  displays,  however,  the  falsity  of 


154  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

her  pretension  by  her  refusal  to  submit  her  c-laims 
in  this  respect  to  be  judged  by  that  which  she  owns 
herself  to  be  the  Word  of  God.  Her  infallibility 
must  not  be  tested,  but  received :  whereas  Scrip- 
ture itself,  with  a  claim  no  less  absolute,  on  that 
very  account  submits  to  every  possible  test,  as- 
sured that  the  more  complete  the  test,  the  more 
will  this  claim  be  manifested  and  made  good. 
The  true  coin  fears  not  the  test  which  would  at 
once  expose  the  counterfeit.  Faith  in  Rome  is 
credulity  and  superstition  only :  faith  in  Scripture 
is  intelligent,  reasonable,  and  open-eyed. 
f  In  Scripture,  the  Church  does  not  teach  at  all. 
I  The  prophets  speak,  and  the  rest  "judge."  The 
(^  Word  itself  is  the  rule  by  which  all  is  judged,  and 
\  the  conscience  is  kept  directly  in  the  presence  of 
God  Himself.  All  are  exercised  as  to  what  is 
spoken :  they  are  to  take  heed  zvhat  they  hear,  as 
well  as  hoiv  they  hear.  This  exercise  is  necessary 
to  maintain  the  soul  in  vigor  and  in  dependence. 
Vigilance,  the  constant  habit  of  reference  to  God, 
and  walking  before  Him  are  to  be  ever  emphasized 
and  insisted  on.  We  tend  continually  to  follow 
human  authorities  and  traditional  teachings,  which 
God  has  continually  to  break  through  for  us,  send- 
ing us  afresh  to  His  Word,  that  our  faith  may  not 
stand  in  the  wisdom  of  men,  but  in  the  power  of 
God.  Thus  alone  true  spiritual  health  is  realized 
and  preserved. 

Church  teaching  is  one  mark,  then,  of  what  in 
Rome  has  only  come  to  full  maturity.  The  seed 
is  scattered  widely,  and  found  in  the  most  diverse 
places.  Another  thing  often  to  be  met  with  inde- 
pendently is  yet,  quite  similarly  to  this,  the  germ 
of  what  is  fully  developed  only  in  Rome.     This  is, 


THYATIRA.  I  5  5 

the  claim  for  the  Church  of  rightful  supremacy 
over  the  world. 

In  Rome,  it  is  outspoken  and  defiant.  Jezebel 
reigns  as  a  queen,  and  is  no  widow,  and  shall  see 
no  sorrow.  With  her  foot  upon  the  necks  of  kings, 
she  can  apply  to  herself  the  words  which  belong 
to  Christ, — '*  Thou  shalt  tread  upon  the  lion  and  the 
adder ;  the  young  lion  and  the  dragon  Thou  shalt 
trample  underfoot."  This  needs,  of  course,  no  com- 
ment ;  but  how  many  are  there,  on  the  other  hand, 
who  sincerely  believe  that  Christians  should  have 
their  place  in  the  government  of  the  world, — nay, 
should  control  it !  Who,  in  fact,  so  fitted  ?  and 
what  could  be  so  desirable  for  the  world  itself? 

They  do  not  see  that  the  world  is  never  to  be 
subject  to  Christ  until  He  take  possession  of  it  with 
the  rod  of  iron ;  that  Satan  is  its  prince  and  god, 
never  to  be  cast  out  until  the  Lord  comes  Himself 
from  heaven ;  that  the  world  remains,  therefore, 
in  steadfast  opposition  to  what  is  of  God,  and 
Christianity,  if  it  root  itself  in  it,  only  becomes 
corrupted  by  it,  and  not  its  purifier.  The  yoke 
with  unbelievers,  which  these  principles  of  neces- 
sity bring  about,  is  what  at  the  start  forfeits  for  the 
child  of  God  the  enjoyment  of  the  child's  proper 
place.  ''  For  what  fellowship  hath  righteousness 
with  unrighteousness?  or  what  communion  hath 
light  with  darkness?  or  what  concord  hath  Christ 
with  Belial?  or  what  part  hath  he  that  belie veth 
with  an  unbeliever?  and  what  agreement  hath  the 
temple  of  God  with  idols?  For  ye  are  the  temple 
of  the  living  God,  as  God  hath  said,  *  I  will  dwell  in 
them  and  walk  in  them,  and  I  will  be  their  God, 
and  they  shall  be  My  people.  Wherefore  come  out 
from   among   them,   and  be  separate;    and  touch 


156  PRESENT  THINGS,  ETC. 

not  the  unclean  thing,  and  I  will  receive  you,  and 
will  be  a  Father  to  you ;  and  ye  shall  be  My  sons 
and  daughters,  saith  the  Lord  Almighty.'  " 

In  Jezebel,  the  full  maturity  of  these  principles  is 
reached,  and  the  Church  attains  its  rule  over  the 
world ;  but  in  so  doing,  it  has  entirely  changed  its 
character.  It  is  no  longer  the  true  Church,  but  the 
false,  although  in  historical  succession  with  the 
true.  The  world's  principles  have  leavened  it;  it 
shelters  the  unclean  *'  birds  of  the  air,"  the  fol- 
lowers of  the  "■  prince  of  the  power  of  the  air ; "  the 
true  followers  of  Christ  are  hunted  down  and  de- 
stroyed ;  and  their  only  hope  is  here  the  coming  of 
the  Lord  Himself,  which  now  for  the  first  time  in 
these  addresses  becomes  the  Star  of  promise.  **  But 
unto  you  I  say,  even  unto  the  rest  in  Thyatira,  as 
many  as  have  not  this  doctrine,  and  which  have 
not  known  the  depths  of  Satan,  as  they  speak;  I 
will  put  upon  you  none  other  burden:  but  that 
which  ye  have  already  hold  fast  ////  /  come.  And 
he  that  overcometh,  and  keepeth  My  works  unto 
the  end,  to  him  will  I  give  power  over  the  nations: 
and  he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron ;  as  the 
vessels  of  a  potter  shall  they  be  broken  to  shivers ; 
even  as  I  received  of  My  Father.  And  I  will  give 
him  the  morning  star." 

Here  is,  plainly,  the  attitude  of  faith  declared  in 

contrast  with  Jezebel's  claim  of  rule.     Rule !  yes, 

f  we  are  to  have  it  when  the  Lord  comes, — not  be- 

'  fore.     The  reign  of  the  saints  is  to  be  with  Christ, 

and  although  it  is  true  that   He  now  reigns,  it  is 

upon  the  Father's  throne — a  throne  which  cannot 

be  shared  with  men.     It   is   impossible,  therefore, 

i  that   Christians  can  reign  now.     When  as  Son  of 

•  Man  He  takes  His  own  throne,  then  indeed  they 


THYATIRA.  1 5/ 

shall  be  associated  with  Him.  This  is  in  the  prom- 
ise to  the  overcomer  in  Laodicea:  "To  him  that 
overcometh  will  I  grant  to  sit  with  Me  in  My 
throne,  even  as  I  also  overcame,  and  am  set  down 
with  My  Father  in  His  throne." 

It  is  in  that  day  the  rod  of  iron  will  be  in  His 
hands,  which,  as  we  see  here,  He  promises  to  share 
with  His  people.  This  is  a  direct  reference  to  the 
second  psalm,  where  Christ  is  seen,  as  in  the  pur- 
pose of  God,  "set"  upon  the  "holy  hill  of  Zion." 
It  is  not  a  heavenly,  but  an  earthly,  throne.  And 
thereupon  Christ's  own  voice  is  heard  declaring- 
the  decree  which  estabhshes  Him  in  possession  of 
the  earth : "  I  will  declare  the  decree ;  the  Lord  hath 
said  unto  Me,  '  Thou  art  My  Son,  this  day  have  I 
begotten  Thee.  Ask  of  Me,  and  I  will  give  Thee 
the  heathen  for  Thine  inheritance,  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  earth  for  Thy  possession.' "  This  is 
often  quoted  to  show  the  gradual  spread  of  the 
gospel  over  the  earth,  but  how,  in  fact,  is  Christ's 
claim  upon  the  nations  to  be  made  good?  "Thou 
shalt  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron;  Thou  shalt  dash 
them  in  pieces  like  a  potter's  vessel." 

This  is  plainly  not  the  grace  of  the  gospel.  It  is 
as  plainly  the  exercise  of  the  power  in  which  He 
associates  the  saints  with  Himself.  It  is  again  re- 
ferred to,  when  in  the  nineteenth  chapter  of  this 
book  the  white-horsed  Rider,  whose  name  is  called 
the  Word  of  God,  comes  forth  from  heaven,  at- 
tended by  His  armies,  to  the  judgment  of  the  na- 
tions banded  still,  as  in  the  second  psalm,  "against 
the  Lord  and  against  His  Christ."  "And  out  of 
His  mouth  goeth  a  sharp,  two-edged  sword,  that 
with  it  He  should  smite  the  nations,  and  He  shall 
rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron,  and  He  treadeth  the 


158  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

wine-press  of  the  fierceness  and  wrath  of  Almighty 
God." 

Thus  the  time  of  this  rule  is  fixed  definitely,  and 
its  character  it  would  seem  impossible  to  mistake. 
Till  then,  "overcoming"  is  in  patience  and  long- 
suffering,  keeping  Christ's  works  unto  the  end. 

But  the  promise  of  the  morning-star  goes  beyond 
this,  even;  and  we  must  look  at  it  with  correspond- 
ing attention.  We  have  here  the  Lord's  own  inter- 
pretation, and  in  the  same  book.  When  the  whole 
roll  of  prophecy  has  been  unfolded  and  come  to  an 
end,  He  returns  to  explain  to  us  this  significant 
word.  "I  Jesus  have  sent  Mine  angel  to  testify 
unto  you  these  things  in  the  churches.  I  am  the 
Root  and  the  Offspring  of  David,  and  the  bright 
and  Morning-Star''  The  Revelation,  and  thus  the 
New-Testament  as  a  whole,  closes  with  this  an- 
nouncement. It  is  striking,  therefore,  to  find  the 
Old  Testament  closing,  in  Malachi,  with  a  con- 
trasted announcement,  which  yet  applies  to  the 
same  glorious  Speaker,  who  thus  takes  His  place  in 
connection  with  the  promises  of  both  parts  of  the 
Word.  The  Old  Testament,  with  its  earthly 
promises,  closes  with  this :  ''  Unto  you  that  fear  My 
name  shall  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  arise  with  heal- 
ing in  His  wings."  The  New  Testament,  with  its 
heavenly  promises,  speaks,  not  of  the  Sun  of  Right- 
eousness, but  of  the  Morning-Star. 

The  Old-Testament  promise  may  seem  the  fuller 
thing.  It  is  more  to  have  the  sun  rise,  surely,  one 
would  say,  than  the  morning-star, — to  have  the  day 
than  thQ  promise  of  the  day.  And  this  is  true  from 
the  Old-Testament  point  of  view :  the  star  shines 
out  of  heaven,  does  not  brighten  the  earth  at  all; 
but  in  its  own  sphere  it  is  bright  nevertheless.    And 


THYATIRA.  1 59 

this  is  the  key  to  its  New-Testament  use.  The  Star 
shines  its  welcome  for  us  out  of  those  heavenly 
places  in  which  our  blessings  as  Christians  are. 
Christ  is  coming  to  bring  the  day  to  the  whole 
earth.  The  glory  of  the  Lord,  like  the  solar  radi- 
ance, is  going  to  cover  it,  as  the  waters  cover  the 
sea.  It  shall  rise  upon  Israel,  and  the  Gentiles 
come  to  the  light,  and  kings  to  the  brightness  of  its 
rising.  But  before  this,  our  eyes  shall  have  beheld 
Him ;  and  when  this  comes,  our  higher,  better  place 
shall  be  already  with  Him.  For  His  promise  to  us 
is,  "  I  will  come  again,  and  receive  you  unto  Myself, 
that  where  I  am," — in  His  own  eternal  home, — 
"there  ye  may  be  also." 

How  beautiful  this  reminder,  then,  here,  ^vhere 
the  glitter  of  earthly  rule  and  dignity  seeks  to  at- 
tract and  insnare  the  saints  of  God !  Like  the  Lord's 
words  to  the  seventy  when  they  returned  to  Him 
again  with  joy,  saying,  "  Lord,  even  the  devils  are 
subject  unto  us  through  Thy  name !  "  With  His 
face  toward  the  very  scenes  of  which  we  have  been 
speaking.  He  replies,  "  I  saw  Satan  as  lightning  fall 
from  heaven!  Behold,  I  give  you  power  to  tread 
on  serpents  and  scorpions,  and  over  all  the  power 
of  the  enemy ;  and  nothing  shall  by  any  means  hurt 
you.  Notwithstanding," — and  here  is  the  parallel 
so  complete, — "  in  this  rejoice  not,  that  the  spirits 
are  subject  unto  you,  but  rather  rejoice  because 
your  names  are  written  in  heaven^ 

Though  our  reign  be  over  the  earth,  and  when  \ 
He  appears  we  shall  appear  with  Him  in  glory,  yet  f 
our  "mansions" — our  abiding-places,  as  the  word  i 
means, — are  not  on  earth,  but  in  the  Father's  house,  j 
of  which  the  temple,  with  its  "patterns  of  things 
in  the  heavenlies,"  was  the  type  and  presentation 


l6o  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

upon  earth.  ''  My  Father's  house  "  was  Christ's 
name  for  the  temple.  This  had  its  temporary 
apartments  for  the  priests,  as  they  came  up  in  their 
courses  to  fulfill  their  service  at  Jerusalem.  And 
is  it  not  in  designed  contrast  that  our  Lord  desig- 
nates our  places  in  the  Father's  house  above,  not  as 
temporary,  but  abiding-^\?iCQ^}  To  "abide,"  "con- 
tinue," is  one  of  the  characteristic  words  in  John's 
gospel,  and  it  is  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  gospel 
of  Christ's  deity  that  it  should  be  so ;  all  that  be- 
longs to  Deity  abides ;  and  here,  in  the  place  of  the 
presence  of  God,  are  our  not  temporary  but  eter- 
nal abodes. 

But  "  the  Morning-Star"  is  more  than  our  abode. 
The  abode  we  shall  have,  to  enjoy  it,  but  Himself 
it  is  we  are  called  to  enjoy,  "/am  the  bright  and 
Morning-Star."  "  Father,  I  will  also  that  those 
whom  Thou  hast  given  Me  be  with  Me  where  I 
am ;  that  they  may  behold  My  glory,  which  Thou 
hast  given  Me;  for  Thou  lovedst  Me  before  the 
foundation  of  the  world." 

How  blessed  to  be  forever  where  this  glory  is 
displayed,  and  where  the  eye  will  be  perfect  to  let 
in  the  light!  "We  know  that,  when  He  shall  ap- 
pear, we  shall  be  like  Him,  for  we  shall  see  Him  as 
He  is."  And  in  order  to  see  Him  as  He  is,  we 
must  be  like  Him.  The  passage  is  often  read  the 
reverse  way ;  as  if  it  were  the  sight  of  Him  that 
would  change  us  into  His  likeness:  but  I  do  not 
believe  that  to  be  the  thought.  The  truth  is,  that 
as  we  must  have  the  divine  nature  to  know  God, 
so  we  must  be  in  Christ's  moral  image  to  appre- 
hend Him.  Man  knows  man  by  reason  of  the 
common  nature;  here,  where  all  obstruction  is  at 
last  removed,  and  we  enter  into  life  as  our  abiding 


1  HYATIRA.  l6[ 

and  exclusive  condition, — the  "body  of  death" 
gone  forever, — here  we  shall  be  at  last  face  to  face 
with  Christ  indeed.  And  this  will  seal  and  perfect 
the  blessedness  of  a  life  always  in  us  essentially 
dependent.  We  shall  still  and  ever,  now  with  no 
inner  obstruction  to  prevent  its  reahzation,  be 
"complete"  (or  "filled  full")  "in  Him." 

The  Morning-Star  anticipates  the  day,  and  wei 
shall  be  gathered  up  to  Christ  before  He  appears] 
for  the  judgment  yet  deliverance  of  the  earth. 
Then,  those  who  have  suffered  will  reign  with  Him. 
When  judgment  shall  return  to  righteousness, — 
the  rod,  no  longer  a  serpent,  returns  to  the  hand  of 
that  great  Shepherd  of  whom  Moses  was  but  the 
fore-shadow, — we  shall  be  with  Him,  to  take  joy- 
ful part  in  that"  restitution  of  all  things"  which  He 
comes  to  effect.  When  the  Sun  of  Righteousness 
arises,  "  then  shall  the  righteous  shine  forth  as 
the  sun,  in  the  kingdom  of  their  Father."  The  rod 
will  then  be  the  irresistible  "  rod  of  iron,"  but  how 
beneficent  shall  be  its  sway  !  "  Then,  judgment  shall 
dwell  in  the  wilderness,  and  righteousness  remain 
in  the  fruitful  field ;  and  the  work  of  righteousness 
shall  be  peace;  and  the  effect  of  righteousness, 
quietness  and  assurance  forever.  And  My  people 
shall  dwell  in  a  peaceable  habitation,  and  in  sure 
dwellings,  and  in  quiet  resting-places."  For  now, 
as  never  yet,  "  a  King  shall  reign  in  righteousness, 
and  princes  shall  rule  in  judgment.  And  a  Man 
shall  be  as  a  hiding-place  from  the  wind,  and  a 
covert  from  the  tempest;  as  rivers  of  water  in  a 
dry  place,  as  the  shadow  of  a  great  rock  in  a 
weary  land." 

The  word,  then,  to  the  overcomer  is,  "  Hold  fast 
till  I  come!"     The  night-watch  is  not  over;    nor 


1 62 

will  the  failed  Church  recover  itself.  The  watch- 
word of  comfort  is,  "  Until  I  come."  The  true  are 
but  a  remnant,  and  Rome's  catholicity  is  but  a 
decisive  proof  of  the  general  departure.  Revivals 
there  may  be,  but  no  return.  Good  it  is  for  those 
who  accept  humbly  the  lesson,  which  stains  forever 
the  glory  of  man.  ''  The  corruption  of  the  best 
thing  is  the  worst  corruption."  We  have  had  God's 
"best  thing"  nearly  two  thousand  years  in  hand: 
what  have  we  done  with  it?  Shall  we  do  better 
now  ?  It  is  easy  to  judge  Rome ;  to  judge,  i]i  Rome, 
our  own  utter  and  ruinous  failure,  is  that  to  which 
God  calls,  and  in  which  alone  blessing  is.  Then, 
blessed  be  God,  the  Morning-Star  rises  in  the  dark- 
ened sky :  "  At  midnight  there  was  a  cry  made, 
'  Behold,  the  Bridegroom !  go  ye  out  to  meet  Him.' " 
''  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the 
Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches!" 

Sardis :    Sleeping  Among  the  Dead. 

(Rev.  iii.  1-7.) 

In  the  address  to  the  Church  at  Thyatira,  we 
have  found  the  Lord  announcing  His  coming, 
and   bidding   His  saints  wait  to  share  with  Him 

\  then  the  authority  which  the  false  church  was  as- 
suming to  have  already.  Thyatira  presents  us  thus 
with  a  phase  of  things  which  goes  on  at  least  till 
the  Lord  comes  for  His  saints;  not,  indeed,  till  the 

\  rising  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  upon  the  world, 

•  but  until  He  comes  as  the  Morning-Star,  the  herald 

^  of  the  day  before  the  day  appears. 

In  Sardis,  we  have,  therefore,  not  a  development 
of  the  Thyatira  condition,  but  in  many  respects,  as 
it  is  easy  to  see,  what  is  in  entire  opposition  to  it. 


SARDIS.  163 

Thyatira,  or  popery,  is  the  last  phase  of  the  church 
in  its  Jewish  hierarchic  and  ritualistic  growth;  and 
although  there  has  been  all  through  a  remnant 
different  in  spirit,  and  becoming  finally  more  or 
less  distinctly  separate,  even  outwardly,  as  among 
the  Waldensian  and  kindred  bodies,  yet  up  to  this 
point  there  has  been  in  fact  a  certain  unity :  it 
could  claim  to  be,  before  the  eyes  of  men  at  least, 
the  Catholic  church. 

True,  there  had  been  already  a  separation ;  not 
now  of  others  from  it,  but  of  this  latest  develop- 
ment itself  from  others.  Rome  had  separated  her- 
self from  the  churches  of  the  east — the  Greek  and 
Syrian  churches,  which  remained  in  the  condition 
we  have  traced  at  Pergamos.  The  Catholic  church 
of  the  west  had  become  the  Roman  Catholic.  Yet, 
in  character,  the  system  was  the  same  throughout ; 
here  more,  there  less,  developed — that  was  all. 
But  now  we  come  to  a  new  thing, — a  breach  and  a 
new  beginning.  There  is  now  in  Sardis,  not  the 
claim  of  infallibiUty,  not  (as  what  is  prominent) 
corruption  of  doctrine,  not  persecution  of  the  saints, 
not  the  exercise  of  authority  in  the  same  sense, — 
none  of  these  things  characterize  Sardis.  What 
characterizes  is  sufficiently  definite  in  the  Lord's 
charge  here :  it  is  lack  of  spiritual  power, — nay,  in 
the  body  as  such,  of  life  itself.  "  Thou  hast  a  name 
to  live,  and  tht)u  art  dead." 

Yet  they  had  "received  and  heard,"  and  are 
bidden  to  "hold  fast"  this,  "and  repent."  Just  as 
Ephesus  had  been,  at  the  commencement  of  decline, 
called  back  to  remember  their  first  state,  so  here 
there  has  been  a  fresh  beginning  in  God's  grace,  a 
recovery  of  His  word  and  truth,  a  new  beginning, 
from  which  (alas !)  already  there  is  decline.    Again, 


164  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

they  have  not  answered  to  His  grace,  and  those 
things  which  remained  among  them  from  this  re- 
vival were  languishing  and  ready  to  die.  And  no 
wonder,  when  the  charge  against  them  is  consid- 
ered. The  body  addressed  is  a  professing  but 
unconverted  one :  with  a  name  to  live,  it  is  dead. 

There  is  but  too  little  difficulty  in  applying  this. 
A  breach  with  Rome,  a  restoration  of  the  Word  of 
God,  a  fresh  revival  of  truth,  ending,  however,  in 
a  system  or  systems  characterized  by  a  fatal  defect 
of  spiritual  power,  and  churches  with  an  uncon- 
verted membership,  God's  saints  being  scattered 
through  the  mass, — living  themselves,  but  unable 
to  vitalize  it:  such  are  the  characteristics,  easily 
to  be  read,  of  the  national  churches  which  sprang 
out  of  the  Protestant  Reformation. 

Let  it  be  well  understood :  it  is  not  the  Refor- 
mation itself  that  is  depicted  here.  So  far  as  it 
was  this,  the  Reformation  was  the  blessed  work  of 
God,  and  the  Lord  does  not  judge,  and  can  never 
need  to  judge.  His  own  work.  He  refers  to  what 
His  grace  had  done  for  them — to  what  they  had 
received  and  heard.  Their  responsibility  was,  to 
take  heed  to  it,  and  hold  it  fast ;  and  already  they 
had  failed  in  doing  so.  This  was  therefore  the 
ground  of  judgment. 

Notice  how  Christ  is  represented  here.  He  has 
"the  seven  Spirits  of  God,  and  the  seven  stars." 
There  is  no  failure  in  the  fullness  of  spiritual 
energy  on  His  part,  no  possibility  of  failure  in  His 
love  and  care  for  His  people.  Yet  this  power  is 
not  found  practically  in  that  which  has  sprung  out 
ol  the  seed  sown  by  the  Reformation.  With  more 
pretension  than  before,  for  they  have  now  a  Jiame 
to  live — a  name  assumed  to  be  in  the  book  of  life, 


SARDIS.  165 

the  actual  condition  of  the  mass  is  that  of  death : 
not  feebleness  merely,  but  death. 

Yet  there  are  exceptions :  not  simply  those  alive, 
but  still  more — that  have  not  defiled  their  garments ; 
and  of  these  the  Lord  speaks  in  the  warmest  terms 
of  praise.  "  They  shall  walk  with  Me  in  white,  for 
they  are  worthy."  Indeed,  these  are  only  *'  a  few 
names."  Others  may  be  alive,  but  in  a  scene  of 
death  (and  the  defilement  which  results  from  con- 
tact with  the  dead  is  emphasized  in  the  symbols  of 
the  Old  Testament)  the  many  of  those  alive  even 
are  defiled.  But  the  mass  are  dead  altogether — 
dead,  with  a  name  to  live. 

In  His  promise  to  the  overcomer,  the  Lord  further 
refers  to  this:  "He  that  overcometh,  the  same  shall 
be  clothed  in  white  raiment,  and  I  will  not  blot  his 
name  out  of  the  book  of  life."  The  book  of  life  is  ^ 
understood  by  the  majority  of  people  to  be  only  in 
the  Lord's  hands,  and  all  the  names  written  in  it  to 
be  written  by  Himself.  Hence,  those  ignorant  of 
the  gospel  stumble  over  this  blotting  out  of  the 
book  of  life,  as  supposing  it  is  the  blotting  out  of 
the  names  of  those  once  saved.  But  there  is  no 
such  thought  here.  There  is  not  the  slightest  hint 
that  those  mentioned  ever  had  life  at  all:  they  had 
a  ''name  to  live" — only  a  name. 

On  the  contrary,  you  find  in  Rev.  xiii.  8  the  very 
opposite  thought  as  to  those  "  written,"  as  we  ought 
to  read  it,  with  the  margin  of  the  Revised  Version, 
"  from  the  foundation  of  the  world  in  the  book  of 
the  Lamb  slain."  There,  this  fact  of  their  being 
written  in  the  book  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world  is  given  as  their  security  from  being  de- 
ceived by  and  worshiping  the  beast.  Sovereign 
grace,  that  is,  is  their  only  and  sufficient  security. 


1 66  PRESENT  THINGS,    ETC. 

Here,  on  the  other  hand,  the  book  has  got  into 
man's  hand,  and  he  writes  names  in  it  as  he  pleases. 
It  is  a  figure,  of  course,  all  through.  The  Lord,  in 
His  own  time,  corrects  the  book,  and  then  He  blots 
out  the  names  of  those  to  whom  only  the  name 
belongs. 

Now  the  ''  name  to  live  "  has  a  very  special  mean- 
ing in  connection  with  Reformation  times.  The 
putting  people's  names  into  the  book  of  life  (while 
here  on  earth)  is  in  no  way  characteristic  of  popery. 
Saints,  for  them,  are  only  the  dead,  and  not  the 
living.  The  living  she  warns  that  "no  man  knows 
whether  he  is  worthy  of  favor  or  hatred,"  and  that 
it  is  not  safe  to  be  too  sure.  Her  pardons,  indul- 
gences, sacraments,  only  show  by  their  very  multi- 
plicity how  difficult  a  thing  she  believes  salvation 
is.  Darkness  is  the  essence  of  her  system,  and  she 
thrives  upon  it. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Reformation  recovered 
the  blessed  gospel,  and  the  word  of  reconciliation 
was  preached  with  no  uncertain  sound.  The  doc- 
trine of  assurance  was  maintained  with  the  utmost 
energy,  and  was  stigmatized  by  the  Council  of 
Trent  as  "the  vain  confidence  of  the  heretics." 
They  even  pushed  it  to  an  extreme,  asserting  (at 
least,  some  of  the  most  prominent  reformers  did,) 
that  assurance  was  of  the  very  essence  of  saving 
faith  itself,  and  that  unless  a  man  knew  himself  to  be 
forgiven,  he  might  be  sure  that  he  was  not  forgiven. 

It  is  plain,  then,  that  Protestantism  put  a  man's 
name  in  the  book  of  life  in  a  way  that  popery  did 
not  at  all. 

Two  immense  things  the  Reformation  gave  us, 
which  have  never  since  been  wholly  lost, — an  open 
Bible,  in  a  language  to  be  understood ;  and  on  the 


SARDIS.  167 

other  hand,  the  gospel,  at  least  in  some  of  its  mosti 
essential  features.  These  are  inestimable  blessings,  j 
which  would  that  we  had  hearts  to  value  more.       f 

Of  the  men,  too,  who  were  the  dear  and  honored 
instruments  in  handing  them  down  to  us  we  cannot 
speak  with  enough  affection  and  esteem.  God 
honored  them — how  many  ! — taking  them  to  Him- 
self in  fiery  chariots,  from  which  their  voices  come, 
thrilling  us  with  the  accents  of  the  heaven  opening 
to  receive  them.  Those  who  disparage  them  will 
have  to  hear,  one  day,  their  names  confessed  and 
honored  by  Him  they  served,  as  those  of  whom 
the  world  was  not  worthy. 

But  on  the  other  hand,  we  must  not  make,  as 
many  are  doing,  the  Reformation  the  measure  of 
divine  truth.  They  are  not  loyal  to  the  Reforma- 
tion really  who  accept  any  thing  beside  Scripture 
as  the  measure  and  test  of  this.  The  broken  and 
conflicting  voices  which  are  heard  the  moment  it 
is  a  question  no  longer  of  the  gospel  but  of  the 
church  and  its  government,  assure  us  that  if  here 
Scripture  has  spoken,  the  churches  of  the  Refor- 
mation do  not  in  the  same  sense  convey  to  us  its 
utterances.  Lutherism  is  not  Calvinism,  the  Church 
of  England  is  not  the  Church  of  Geneva  here.  We 
must  needs,  whether  we  will  or  not,  take  Scripture 
to  decide  amid  claims  so  conflicting;  and  when  we 
do  so,  we  find,  with  no  great  difficulty,  that  no  one 
of  these  takes  us  back  to  the  Church  as  it  was  at 
the  beginning — the  body  of  Christ,  or  the  house 
of  living  stones — at  all. 

Instead  of  this,  as  is  well  known,  the  churches  of 
the  Reformation  were  essentially  national  churches. 
Not  in  every  country,  of  course,  able  to  attain  the 
full  ideal, — as  in  France,  where  Rome  retained  its 


1 68  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

ascendency  by  such  cruel  means, — but  always  of 
that  pattern.  Rome  had  herself  prepared  the  way 
for  this.  The  nations  of  Europe  were  already 
professedly  Christian  nations,  and  it  was  not  to  be 
expected  that  those  who  escaped  from  Jezebel's 
tyranny  would  give  up  their  long  hereditary  claim 
to  Christianity.  The  adoption  of  an  evangelical 
creed  did  not  and  could  not  change  the  reality  of 
what  they  were.  They  learned  the  formula,  put 
their  names  upon  the  church-books  as  Protestants, 
learned  to  battle  fiercely  for  the  gospel  of  peace, 
and  how  could  you  deny  their  title  to  be  Chris- 
tians? Yet,  as  to  the  many,  it  was  but  the  "name 
to  live." 

We  must  learn  to  distinguish  two  elements  in  the 
ecclesiastical  revolution  of  those  times.  There  was, 
first  of  all,  a  most  mighty  and  most  manifest  work 
of  God.  The  Scriptures,  released  from  their  im- 
prisonment in  a  foreign  tongue,  began  to  speak  to 
responsive  human  hearts  with  the  decision  and 
persuasiveness  that  the  Word  of  God  alone  can 
have.  Christ  began  once  more  to  teach  as  one 
having  authority,  and  not  as  the  scribes.  The 
blessed  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  every 
where  brought  souls  held  fast  in  bondage  into  lib- 
erty and  the  knowledge  of  a  Saviour-God.  The 
ecclesiastical  yoke  could  not  hold  any  longer  those 
whom  the  truth  had  freed ;  and  where  Christ  had 
become  thus  the  soul's  rightful  Lord,  the  yoke  of 
Rome  was  but  the  tyranny  of  Antichrist. 

This-  was  the  first  and  most  powerful  element  in 
Protestantism;  not  a  poHtical  movement,  but  a 
movement  of  faith.  Luther,  solitary  at  Worms,  in 
the  presence  of  the  mightiest  political  power  in 
Europe,  was  the  testimony  that  the  work  was  of 


SARDIS.  169 

Him.  His  strength  was  manifest  in  human  weak- 
ness. Had  that  place  of  weakness  been  retained 
all  through, — had  but  God  been  allowed  to  show 
that  power  was  of  Him  alone,  how  "different  would 
have  been  the  result !  And  it  is  due  to  the  foremost 
name  of  Protestantism  to  acknowledge  that,  as  far 
as  carnal  weapons  were  concerned,  Luther  would 
have  rightly  refused  them  a  place  in  a  warfare 
which  was  God's.  At  any  rate,  to  think  of  Prot- 
estantism as  essentially  a  political  movement 
is  to  do  it  glaring  injustice,  and  to  contradict  the 
plainest  facts. 

On  the  other  hand,  we  cannot  ignore  the  politi- 
cal element  which  so  soon  entered  into  it.  Rome 
had  made  the  nations  every  where  feel  the  iron 
hand  of  her  despotism,  and  the  national  reaction 
against  her  was  the  natural  result  of  her  intolerable 
and  insolent  oppression.  The  notorious  wickedness 
of  her  chiefs  had  long  destroyed  all  real  respect. 
Her  power  stood  now  in  an  excessive  and  degrad- 
ing superstition.  She  lived  upon  men's  vices  and 
their  fears ;  and  where  the  light  fell  and  removed 
the  darkness,  the  fears  were  removed  also,  where 
the  vices  were  not.  Men  learned  to  look  upon  the 
power  they  had  cringed  to  with  contrary  feelings, 
deep  in  proportion  to  their  depth  before.  Their 
interests,  political  and  otherwise,  coincided  with 
the  spiritual  movement  which  divine  power  had 
produced.  Soldiers,  politicians,  governments,  made 
common  cause  with  the  men  of  faith.  It  was  hard 
not  to  welcome  such  apparently  God-sent  allies, 
when  on  every  side  persecution  raged.  The  move- 
ment increased  in  external  power  and  importance, 
but  its  character  was  in  just  that  proportion  low- 
ered and  perverted. 


I70  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

And  now  there  was  need  of  defined  principles 
to  give  cohesion  to  elements  which  the  Spirit  of 
God  no  longer  sufficed  to  bind  together.  Outside, 
there  was  the  pressure  of  Rome,  a  compact  and 
immensely  powerful  body,  armed,  drilled,  and  in- 
tensely hostile.  Organization  was  soon  a  necessity; 
but  of  what  or  whom?  To  proclaim  the  true 
Church  would  have  been  to  cast  off  their  allies,  to 
insure  the  continuance  of  persecution  and  reproach, 
to  leave  Rome  unchecked,  triumphant.  I  do  not 
say  that  the  true  thought  of  the  Church  ever 
dawned  upon  them ;  but  I  do  say  that  their  alliance 
with  the  world  was  a  sure  means  of  hindering  their 
seeing  it.  There  were  formed  instead  national 
churches,  with  evangelical  creeds,  used  as  pieces 
of  state-craft,  and  political  power  to  back  them, 
not  divine. 

It  is  simple  enough,  that  if  a  creed  had  been  a 
necessity  for  His  Church,  the  wisdom  of  God  could 
easily  have  given  us  an  infallible  one,  and  His  love 
could  not  have  failed  to  do  so.  On  the  contrary, 
He  has  given  us  that  which  He  testifies  to  as  able 
to  furnish  the  man  of  God  thoroughly  unto  all 
good  works,  but  which  people  feel  at  once  to  be 
as  different  from  a  creed  as  can  be. 

Why  do  people  want  a  creed  ?  As  something 
more  plainly  and  easily  read  than  Scripture. 
Scripture  is  infinite:  the  creed  must  be  definite.  Of 
Scripture,  every  one  makes  what  he  hkes ;  what  is 
wanted  is  something  different — something  that  shall 
not  be  capable  of  two  meanings,  plain  to  all — spir- 
itual and  unspiritual.  Church  and  world  alike. 

It  has  been  before  contended  that  Scripture  is 
clearer,  plainer  really,  than  any  word  of  man ;  and 
so  indeed  it  is;    beside  being,  in  divine  wisdom, 


SARDIS.  171 

written  so  as  to  meet,  as  nothing  else  can  meet,  with 
perfect  foresight  of  the  future,  all  the  thoughts  of 
men.  It  is  thus  the  only  sufficient  guard  and  pro- 
tection against  heresy  to  the  end  of  time.  And  yet 
it  is  no  contradiction  to  this  to  own  that  there  is 
some  truth  from  the  point  of  view  taken  by  those 
who  contend  for  this,  between  the  creed  and 
Scripture. 

From  their  point  of  view.  For  the  apostle's  words 
limit  us  somewhat  when  we  speak  of  the  intelligi- 
bility of  Scripture.  "All  Scripture  is  given  by 
inspiration  of  God,  and  is  profitable  for  doctrine, 
for  reproof,  for  correction,  for  instruction  in  right- 
eousness,"— but  for  what? — ''that  the  man  of  God 
may  be  perfect,  thoroughly  furnished  unto  all 
good  works." 

So  that  Scripture,  profitable  for  doctrine  as  it  is,* 
does  need  a  certain  state  of  soul  for  its  proper  ap-f 
prehension.    It  needs  not  indeed  great  attainmentsji 
human  learning,  deep  research, — although  all  these' 
have  their  use,  and  are  not  despised  by  it ;  but  it 
absolutely  requires  (what  may  be  found  in  the  low-i 
est  and  poorest  just  as  well,)  devotedness — that  wei  ta! 
be  God's  men:  what  by  possession  and  profession; 
all  Christians  are,  but  alas!  not  what  all,  even  of' 
true  Christians,  always  practically   are.      This   is 
the  single  eye,  which  we  must  have  for  the  body! 
to  be  full  of  light. 

But  this  being  so,  we  can  easily  see  that  the  Bible 
is  not  just  the  book  for  a  court  of  law,  and  it  is  not 
the  suited  thing  for  a  national  creed.  The  truth  is 
not  meant  to  be  accessible  to  the  merely  natural 
mind.  Nay,  "the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the 
things  of  the  Spirit  of  God ;  for  they  are  foolishness 
unto  him ;  neither  can  he  know  them,  because  they 


1/2  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

are  spiritually  discerned."  The  Bible  is  not  crys- 
talized  for  us  into  doctrines,  but  its  truths  are 
exhibited  and  only  known  as  living  realities  to 
those  who  are  in  the  true  sense  alive.  It  is  so 
essentially  unlike  a  creed,  that  we  may  be  assured 
that  nothing  like  a  creed  was  in  God's  design.  He 
did  not  mean  to  give  what  might  serve  as  a  motto 
for  political  partizanship,  or  a  banner  for  any 
other  than  spiritual  warfare. 

Nationalism,  then, — the  union  of  the  living  and 
the  dead — was  never  in  His  mind.  He  meant 
spiritualit}^  to  be  a  first  necessity,  and  an  absolute 
one,  for  the  discernment  of  His  thoughts:  and  men, 
when  they  substitute  in  this  respect  the  blessed 
word  of  God  for  their  plainer  creed,  show  really 
that  herein  they  are  at  cross  purposes  with  Him. 

"  Thou  hast  a  name  that  thou  livest,  and  art 
dead,"  is  the  exact  moral  description,  as  it  is  the 
plain  condemnation  of  nationalism.  Of  more  this, 
no  doubt,  but  still  of  this.  It  is  not  the  idea  of  the 
Church  of  God  at  all,  but  a  Christianized  world, 
with  Christians  scattered  through  it:  a  place  so 
defihng,  that  but  few  indeed  can  keep  their  gar- 
ments undefiled.  Connected  with  the  truth,  as 
popery  is  not,  such  a  system  betrays  the  truth 
which  it  professedly  upholds.  The  character  of 
the  last  days  is  developed  by  it:  ''Men  shall  be 
lovers  of  their  own  selves,  covetous,  proud,  blas- 
phemers," the  retaining  all  that  is  natural  to  them 
under  the  garb  of  Christianity ;  ''  having  a  form  of 
godliness,  but  denying  the  power  thereof."  The 
direct  command  is,  ''From  such,  turn  away." 

This  is  the  effect  of  popularized  truth, — popular- 
ized as  God  never  meant  His  truth  to  be.  Of  course 
this  is  to  be  distinguished  from  \\\q  preaching  oi  His 


SARDIS.  173 

truth,  than  which  nothing  assuredly  is  more  in  ac- 
cordance with  His  mind.  His  gospel  is  to  go  forth 
to  every  creature,  and  the  blessings  of  an  open 
Bible  we  could  scarcely  exaggerate.  But  by 
^'popularized  truth  "  is  meant,  what  we  have  already 
been  speaking  of,  truth  made  into  a  party  badge,  so 
as  to  be  accepted  by  those  with  whom  Christ  is  not ; 
for  He  was  never  really  popular,  and  still  is  not. 

Popularized  truth  means,  truth  that  has  lost  its 
power.  It  may  be  that  for  which  martyrs  died, 
and  which  when  first  given  of  God,  or  when  afresh 
given,  was  full  of  quickening  power.  Popularized, 
it  is  so  far  lifeless.  No  exercise  of  soul  in  receiving 
it;  no  cross  in  professing  it;  men  have  got  from 
their  fathers  what  their  fathers  got  from  God :  to 
their  fathers  it  was  shame,  to  them  it  is  honor. 
There  is  nothing  to  test  conscience,  nothing  to 
make  them  ask.  Dare  I  take  this  without  human 
sanction  to  commend — nay,  in  the  face  of  all  hu- 
man discountenance?  Yet  only  thus  have  we  got 
it  truly  from  God.  The  martyrs  they  talk  of  took 
it  thus  and  suffered  for  it :  they  take  it  from  their 
fathers — a  principle  which  would  have  condevmed 
the  martyrs ;  and  they  take  it  without  the  slightest 
thought  of  being  martyrs. 

Truth  is  proclaimed  as  powerless  by  the  unholy 
lives  of  its  professors,  while  unholiness  is  recom- 
mended by  the  practice  of  those  who  are  orthodox 
as  to  truth.  And  thus  truth  tends  to  die  out  of 
itself,  as  valueless,  remaining  all  the  while  in  the 
national  creed,  embalmed  as  a  memorial  of  the  past. 
"Be  watchful,  and  strengthen  the  things  which 
remain,  which  are  ready  to  die;  for  I  have  not 
found  thy  works  perfect  before  God."  This  has 
been  long  experienced  with  regard  to  all  national 


/ 


174  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

systems  too  manifestly  to  need  more  than  a  bare 
allusion. 

It  is  a  system  designedly  adapted  to  worldly 
minds,  and  to  be  worked  by  political  machinery. 
The  Word  of  God  is  no  necessity  to  it,  except,  it 

j,*^^  may  be,  to  furnish  a  table  of  lessons;  ior  the  aii- 
•^  tJioritative  standard  is  the  creed.  The  Spirit  of  God 
^y    is  not  necessary  to  it ;  for  colleges  can  manufacture 

"^  preachers,  and  ecclesiastics  ordain  and  send  them 
^^forth  apart  from  this.  Christians  are  not  necessary 
^^  to  it ;  they  are  too  uncertain  as  a  constituent  part 
of  a  nation  or  its  government  to  be  capable  of  be- 
ing reckoned  on;  nor  is  there  any  means  of  cer- 
tainly determining  who  they  are.  A  sacrament, — 
baptism  or  the  Lord's  supper, — takes  here  the 
place  of  less  manageable  tests. 

And  the  grieved  and  insulted  Spirit  may  be 
besought  to  breathe  upon  the  lifeless  mass,  and  fill 
the  sails  of  the  ship  of  state.  But  He  must  keep 
within  the  bounds  prescribed  by  ritual,  hierarchy, 
and  parliament,  or  He  will  be  treated  as  schismati- 
cal.  And  it  must  be  remarked  how  often  in  this 
case  a  schism  springs  out  of  a  large  and  manifest 
revival.  Souls  brought  near  to  God,  and  made  to 
feel  the  value  of  His  Word,  are  not  made  thereby 
the  more  docile  servants  of  a  state-religion.  The 
new  wine  will  not  be  held  in  the  old  bottles. 
Statesmen  are  not  thus  favorable  to  such  fresh 
enthusiasm,  and  no  wonder:  it  divides  the  house 
which  it  is  to  their  interest  to  keep  as  one. 

But  is  not  here  the  history  of  the  churches  of 
the     Reformation  —  of    Protestantism,    in    fact, — 
during     the     three     centuries    of    its     existence?. 
Is  not  this  the  true  account  of, its  divisions,  for 
which  it  is  reproached  ?     The  Spirit  of  God  is  not, 


SARDIS.  175 

indeed,  the  author  of  confusion,  but  of  peace, — of 
unity,  and  not  disunion.  But  when  people  talk  of 
schism,  they  should  remember  to  what  that  term 
applies.  As  found  in  Scripture,  it  is  ''  schism  in  the 
body''  that  is  reprobated,  and  the  body  of  Christ,  is 
not  a  national  church.  When  men  have  joined 
together  the  living  and  the  dead, — when  they  have 
subjugated  consciences  to  formularies  instead  of 
Scripture, — to  hierarchies  instead  of  God,  or  to  ' 
hierarchies  in  the  name  of  God,  what  have  they 
forced  the  blessed  Spirit  to  do  but  to  draw  afresh 
the  line  they  have  obliterated  between  the  living 
and  the  dead,  between  man's  word  and  God's, 
between  human  authority  and  divine? 

And  His  mode  of  doing  this  has  been  constantl}'' 
to  bring  out  of  the  inexhaustible  treasure  of  His 
Word  some  fresh  or  forgotten  truth,  which  would 
do  that  which  the  popularized  truth  in  the  creed 
had  almost  ceased  to  do — would  test  the  souls  of 
His  people  as  to  whether  they  were  indeed  the 
descendants  of  those  who  confessed  Him  of  old, 
whose  tombs  they  built,  and  whose  memories  they 
had  in  honor.  The  fresh  truth  calls  for  fresh 
confession ;  costs,  and  is  meant  to  cost,  something ; 
brings  its  confessors  into  opposition  to  the  course 
around  them,  and  separates  them  at  once  from 
those  whose  only  desire  is  to  go  with  the  stream, 
and  with  whom  the  profession  of  Christ  and  the 
cross  are  widely  separate. 

Doubtless  the  division  may  separate  between 
true  Christians  themselves ;  and  this  is  in  itself  an 
evil,  that  true  Christians  should  be  separated ;  but 
the  responsibility  rests  with  those  who  are  not 
quick-eared  enough  to  hear  God's  call  when  it 
comes, — not  single-ej^ed  enough  to  discern  the  path 


1/6  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

in  which  the  Lord  is  leading  His  own.  We  are 
bound,  by  the  honor  we  owe  to  Him,  to  maintain 
that  He  cannot  possibly  be  leading  His  own  in 
contradictory  paths — cannot  possibly  refuse  the 
needed  light  to  walk  aright,  however  simple  or 
ignorant  the  soul  may  be.  No  one  strays  and  no 
one  stumbles  because  God  denies  him  Hght.  But 
*'the  light  of  the  body"  practically  "is  the  eye" — 
the  inlet  of  it,  and  there  the  hinderance  is.  Thus  a 
severance,  sorrowfully  enough,  is  made  between 
real  Christians ;  but  the  sin  of  it  is  not  with  those 
who  separate  from  that  which  God  has  shown  them 
to  be  evil,  but  with  those  who  remain  associated 
with  the  evil  which  is  forcing  out  the  true  in  heart. 
Separation  from  evil,  so  far  from  being  a  princi- 
ple of  division,  would,  if  honestly  followed,  make 
for  unity  and  peace,  as  leading  upon  a  path  where 
God's  Spirit,  ungrieved,  could  really  unite  and 
strengthen  His  people.  With  evil  He  cannot 
unite;  and  this,  indeed,  therefore,  wherever  ad- 
mitted, is  a  principle  of  division. 

I  am  not,  therefore,  upholding  or  making  light 
of  schism.  The  divisions  of  Protestantism  are  its 
shame,  and  to  glory  in  them  is  to  glory  in  one's 
shame.  Error  is  manifold,  contradictory,  schis- 
matic. Truth,  however  many-sided,  is  but  one. 
Sects,  in  their  multiplicity,  may  accommodate,  no 
doubt,  the  religious  tastes  of  man ;  but  that  only 
would  show  how  purely  human  they  are,  how 
little  divine. 

The  unity  of  the  Spirit  may  be  maintained,  and 
allow  indeed  for  growth  in  knowledge,  and  in  unity 
of  judgment  as  to  many  things.  The  Church  of 
God  has  room  for  all  that  are  God's,  of  whatever 
stature — fathers,  young  men,  and  babes.      It  can 


SARDIS.  177 

allow  of — nay,  insists  upon  the  largest  charity  for 
those  who  differ  from  us  in  aught  that  would  not 
link  the  name  of  Christ  with  His  dishonor.  But 
that  is  a  very  different  thing  from  what  is  implied 
in  a  creed,  and  indeed  I  may  say,  is  its  fundamental 
opposite.  For  the  creed  defines,  in  a  way  that,  if 
rigidly  adhered  to,  sJiuts  out  toleration  as  to  points 
of  confessedly  minor  importance,  where  the  Spirit 
of  God  would  teach,  not  indifference,  indeed,  but 
the  largest  charity, — forcing  its  definitions  upon  all 
in  a  way  most  felt  by  the  most  conscientious.  It  is 
as  necessary,  as  far  as  the  creed  goes,  to  believe  in 
a  child's  being  regenerate  when  baptized  as  it  is  to 
believe  in  the  Son  of  God  Himself.  I  grant  there 
may  be  practical  laxity,  but  for  a  soul  before  God 
that  does  not  do.  For  such  an  one,  with  his  eyes 
open,  the  subjection  to  human  institutions  in  the 
things  of  God  is  just  what  he  cannot  and  dare  not 
yield. 

"Schism  in  the  body^'  then,  is  always  wrong. 
Separation  from  evil^  at  all  costs,  is  a  necessity,  and 
always  right.  And  from  this  have  been  gathered 
the  freshness  and  power  which  have  plainly  char- 
acterized so  many  movements  of  this  kind  at  the 
beginning.  They  began  in  self-judgment  and  de- 
votedness.  The  evil  at  least  they  saw,  and  were 
exercised  about,  and  the  measure  of  truth  they  had 
was  held  in  power.  It  was  soon  systematized,  and 
in  that  proportion  its  power  began  to  fail.  The 
founders,  if  you  look  at  their  lives,  were  men  of 
faith  and  power,  suffering  and  enduring.  The 
manners  of  the  adherents  were  chastened,  simple, 
primitive.  Organized,  popularized,  with  a  large 
following,  the  freshness  waned ;  and  in  the  third  or 
fourth  generation,  another  sect  had  taken  its  place 


178  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

among  the  many,  boasting  of  a  history  which 
it  did  not  discern  to  be  a  satire  upon  its  present 
condition. 

The  organization,  the  creed,  are  to  preserve  the 
truth.  But  did  these  give  them  the  truth  they  are 
anxious  to  preserve?  Surely  not,  as  they  must 
own.  God  in  His  love,  God  in  His  power,  has 
given  what  man  had  proved  his  incompetency  to 
retain.  They  cannot  trust  Him  to  retain  it  for 
them,  after  He  has  given  it.  He  has  used  His 
Word  to  minister  it ;  they  turn  round  and  use,  for 
that  blessed  Word  of  His,  a  creed  of  their  ow^n 
manufacture  to  preserve  it.  The  generations  after 
follow  their  fathers'  creed,  and  not  the  Word.  The 
truth  popularized  is  gone  as  "  Spirit  and  Life." 
God  has  to  work  afresh  and  outside  of  what  a  little 
while  ago  He  had  Himself  produced. 

And  the  spiritual  life  of  the  time  has  come  more 
and  more  to  manifest  itself  in  "revivals,"  which,  so 
far  as  they  are  really  such,  are  the  protests  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  against  prevailing  death  continually 
creeping  over  every  thing;  and  oftentimes  con- 
nected with  fresh  statements  of  truth,  when  the 
old  have  lost  their  power.  The  Lord's  warning  to 
Sardis  points  out  this  constant  tendency  to  death. 
''  Be  watchful,  and  strengthen  the  things  that 
remain,  which  are  ready  to  die."  "Remember 
therefore  how  thou  hast  received  and  heard,  and 
hold  fast  and  repent." 

It  is  scarcely  too  much  to  say  that  every  true 
revival,  whatever  the  blessing  for  individuals, — 
nay,  I  might  even  say,  in  proportion  to  the  blessing 
for  individuals, — weakens  the  national  system;  and 
this  for  reasons  we  have  been  considering.  The 
Spirit  of  God   must  needs  work  in  opposition  to 


SARDis.  i;;9 

the  death  produced  by  the  system,  and  therefore 
against  the  system  which  produces  the  death. 
Souls  quickened  by  the  Spirit  of  God  cannot  go  on 
contentedly  under  deadly  and  unchristian  teaching, 
comforting  themselves  with  the  assurance  of  the 
article  that  "the  evil"  who  sometimes  "have  chief 
authority  in  the  ministration  of  the  Word  and  sac- 
raments" do  yet  "minister  by  Christ's  commission 
and  authority;"  nor  will  they  always  be  able  to 
accept  the  ecclesiastical  "yoke  with  unbelievers," 
because  the  system  requires  "every  parishioner"  to 
communicate,  irrespective  of  any  other  security  as 
to  his  conversion  than  his  baptism  and  confirmation 
may  imply. 

It  will  be  no  marvel,  then,  to  find,  what  any  one 
with  spiritual  understanding  must  own,  that  at 
least  the  large  proportion  of  those  who  could  be 
said  to  "have  not  defiled  their  garments"  in  the 
history  of  Protestantism  have  been  in  some  way  or 
other  dissenters  from  the  national  system.  The 
first  generation  of  English  reformers  were  dis- 
senters from  Rome,  and  Rome  did  her  best  to  keep 
them  pure,  in  the  fires  she  kindled  for  them.  In 
the  second  and  third  generation  from  these,  a  peo- 
ple began  to  be  separated,  who  from  their  honest 
endeavor  to  be  right  with  God  were  nick-named 
"Puritans."  I  need  not  tell  you  what  great  names, 
which  after-generations  have  learnt  to  love  and 
honor,  are  found  among  this  class, — a  class  with 
whom  fine  and  pillory  and  imprisonment  were 
famihar  things.  Every  body  knows  that  Bedford 
gaol  was  the  "  den  "  in  which  John  Bunyan  dreamed 
his  memorable  dream.  In  Scotland,  the  attempted 
enforcement  of  prelacy  gave  a  succession  of  mar- 
tyrs and  confessors  to  the  Presbyterian  name,  with 


l8o  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

whom,  as  elsewhere,  their  time  of  persecution  was 
their  time  of  real  blessing,  while  the  Episcopalian- 
ism  which  was  riding  rough-shod  over  them  had 
gone  already  more  than  half  way  back  to  Rome. 

With  the  movement  underWesley  and  Whitefield, 
nearer  to  our  own  times,  we  are  naturally  still  more 
familiar;  and  that  which  issued  in  the  Free  Church 
of  Scotland  is  still  within  the  memory  of  a  genera- 
tion not  yet  passed  away.  All  these,  and  many 
others,  will  exemplify  the  truth  of  what  I  have 
been  saying;  until,  in  our  own  days,  the  national 
systems  are  showing  evident  signs  of  decrepitude 
and  breaking  up ;  and  Romanists  and  infidels  are 
beginning  their  pasans  on  the  downfall  of  Protest- 
antism. We  who  are  able  to  see  it  all  in  the  light 
of  Scripture  can  easily  understand  why  all  this  is, 
and  see  only  the  truth  of  God's  Word  more  and 
more  manifested  in  it.  Christianity  flung  as  a  cloak 
over  a  corpse  can  surely  not  warm  it  into  life. 
Corruption  will  go  on  underneath,  eating  away  the 
form  of  life,  the  only  thing  it  ever  had,  until  at  last 
the  cloak  will  more  or  less  fall  off,  and  what  was 
all  along  true  become  apparent. 

When  the  Protestant  churches  shall  be  gone 
altogether,  or  gone  as  such,  their  protest  will  not 
be  gone,  but  only  transferred  to  another  court. 
Heaven  will  take  up  what  they  have  dropped. 
Babylon  the  Great  will  fall  under  divine  judgment; 
and  apostles  and  prophets,  and  God's  people  every 
where,  will  rejoice  at  her  fall. 

A  few  words  now  about  another  thing. 

If  the  Church  reigns  in  the  absence  of  Christ, 
what  then?  Why,  then  there  must  be  something 
representing  Him  down  here; — He  must  have  a 


SARDIS.  l8l 

vicar.  He  is  not  present  (even  the  world  cannot 
mistake  that),  except  spiritually.  He  is  at  God's 
right  hand.  That  is  the  common  faith  of  Chris- 
tianity, and  it  is  the  faith  even  of  Rome.  Although, 
in  spite  ot  that,  her  altars  are  continually  proclaim- 
ing Him  corporally  present,  the  faith  of  Christianity 
is  that  Christ  is  away. 

But  a  visible  kingdom  requires  a  visible  head ; 
and  I  need  not  tell  you  that  such  they  have  given 
it.  The  pope  is,  for  Rome,  Christ's  vicar;  and  this 
is  only  the  natural  development  of  the  thought  of 
church-government  which  historically  preceded 
and  led  on  to  it,  and  which  extends  far  beyond 
Rome.  Presbyterianism,  prelacy,  popery,  are  but 
three  steps  in  the  same  direction.  Apostles  are  no 
more ;  and  the  Church  is  orphaned,  if  not  governed 
in  a  visible  manner.  Hierarchial  government  in 
some  form  is  a  necessity  to  it. 

Now  the  Lord  has  indeed  a  Vicar  during  His 
absence — a  perfect,  infallible  Guide  for  His  people, 
as  well  as  a  guide-book  absolutely  perfect.  The 
Church  has  not  only  a  perfect  body  of  discipline, 
but  One  also  who  is  the  Interpreter  and  Adminis- 
trator of  it.  It  is  the  characteristic  of  God's  people 
that  **  as  many  as  are  hd  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  they 
are  the  sons  of  God."  So  distinctive  and  so  won- 
derful a  blessing  is  the  presence  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
with  us  now,  that,  although  the  disciples  in  our 
Lord's  day  were  blessed,  by  the  fact  of  His  presence 
with  them,  beyond  all  the  generations  previous,  yet 
He  could  say  to  them, ''  It  is  expedient  for  you  that 
I  go  away:  for  if  I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter 
will  not  come  unto  you ;  but  if  I  depart,  I  will  send 
Him  unto  you." 

His  presence  in  the  believer  makes  even  his  body 


1 82  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  So  His  presence  in 
the  church  makes  it  also  ''the  temple  of  the  living 
God."  Looking  at  the  Church,  again,  as  the  body 
of  Christ,  He  is  the  one  Spirit  animating  the  body. 
As  all  the  members  move  under  the  control  of  the 
spirit  in  the  natural  body,  so  in  the  body  of  Christ 
also:  if  the  members  do  not  understand  and  move 
in  harmonious  subjection  to  the  spirit,  we  speak  of 
it  as  disease ;  and  it  is  not  less,  but  more  truly,  so 
in  the  body  of  Christ. 

If  we  open  the  Acts,  we  shall  find  every  where 
His  presence — greater  than  apostles,  higher  than 
the  highest  there.  From  the  day  of  His  descent  at 
Pentecost,  He  is  supreme  over  all;  and  that  su- 
premacy becomes  the  harmony  of  action,  the  unity 
of  spirit  in  the  lower  sense.  Sovereignly,  He  calls 
instruments  as  He  will,  and  as  sovereignly  uses 
whom  He  calls.  "  Separate  Me  Barnabas  and  Saul," 
He  says  to  the  prophets  and  teachers  at  Antioch, 
''  to  the  work  whereunto  I  have  called  them.  .  .  . 
And  they,  being  sent  forth  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  de- 
parted into  Seleucia."  How  strange  to  read  as 
power  conferred  on  man  to  convey  office  what  is 
really  the  naming  of  individuals  by  the  Spirit  Him- 
self, as  called  and  sent  forth  by  Him :  one  of  them 
being  the  man  who  asserts  his  own  apostleship  to 
be,  "  not  0/  men,  nor  dj/  man  " ! 

"  Now  w^hen  they  had  gone  throughout  Phrygia 
and  the  region  of  Galatia,  and  were  forbidden  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  to  preach  the  Word  in  Asia,  .  .  . 
they  assayed  to  go  into  Bithynia,  but  the  Spirit 
suffered  them  not."  ''And  finding  disciples,  we 
tarried  there  seven  days ;  who  said  to  Paul  by  the 
Spirit  that  he  should  not  go  up  to  Jerusalem."  Not 
ordinarily,  indeed,  perhaps  not  often,  was  the  bid- 


SARDIS.  183 

ding  of  the  Spirit  expressed  as  audibly;  but  the 
manner  of  communication  was  but  circumstantial, 
and  not  of  the  essence  of  the  matter.  He  was  pres- 
ent, Comforter,  Guide,  Teacher,  Witness ;  Spirit  of 
the  body,  "  dividing  to  every  man  severally  as  He 
will;"  a  divine  Person,  with  divine  power  and 
divine  authority. 

Yet  unseen !  I  grant  the  fatal  flaw  in  all  this  for 
most.  The  Bible  they  can  see,  but  it  is  not  definite 
enough.  The  Spirit  of  God  they  cannot  see,  and, 
alas !  cannot  believe  in,  in  a  practical  way.  ''  Whom 
the  world  cannot  receive,"  says  the  Lord  Himself, 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  ''because  it  seeth  Him  not, 
neither  knoweth  Him."  And  when  the  line  between 
the  Church  and  the  world  is  gone,  who  can  wonder 
that  this  unbelief  should  be  permeating  the  mass  of 
what  is  professedly  Christ's?  It  is  not  only  Rome 
that  refuses  to  the  blessed  Spirit  the  place  He  has 
come  to  fill.  The  unbelief  which  has  denied  the 
sufficiency  of  Scripture,  and  supplemented  it  by 
creeds  which  come  soon  to  supplant  it,  has  denied 
in  the  same  way  the  sufficiency  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  supplemented  His  authority  with  hierarchical 
governments  to  which  (whatever  the  theory)  He  is 
practically  unnecessary. 

If  you  ask  people  what  they  mean  by  ''church- 
government,"  you  will  get  various  answers,  no 
doubt ;  but  they  will  all  agree  substantially  in  one 
thing.  That  one  thing  is,  in  an  omission  of  what  is, 
indeed,  the  key-stone  of  the  arch.  They  will  tell 
you,  some,  that  they  beHeve  in  an  episcopal  form 
of  government,  some  a  presbyterian,  some  a  con- 
gregational. And  if  you  ask  them  further.  Where 
do  they  put  the  Holy  Ghost?  you  will  find  the 
mass  of  people  even  denying  any  special  presence 


1 84  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

of  the  Holy  Ghost  as  characterizing  this  dispensa- 
tion. They  will  tell  you  (so  far,  truly,)  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  has  always  been  acting  in  the  world, 
from  the  creation  of  it;  that  the  new  birth  has 
always  been  His  work,  from  Abel,  or  from  Adam,  to 
this  time.  They  believe,  too,  in  certain  special  gifts 
at  the  day  of  Pentecost,  and  for  some  time  there- 
after. A  distinctive  *'  coming  "  in  the  place  of  Christ, 
a  coming  so  important  in  character  that  it  was  ex- 
pedient for  Christ  to  go  away  that  we  might  have  it, 
they  do  not  understand  and  do  not  believe  in.  One 
well-known  man,  an  evangelical  divine.  Dr.  Hugh 
McNeile,  of  Liverpool,  when  he  had  to  admit  that 
a  personal'' coming"  of  the  Holy  Ghost  after  the 
ascension  of  Christ  was  taught  in  the  Word,  could 
only  account  for  it  by  the  supposition  that  during 
the  Lord's  lifetime  upon  earth  all  the  operation  of  the 
Spirit  was  limited  to  Himself  alone,  so  that  the  three 
and  thirty  years  of  our  Lord's  presence  were  years 
in  which  no  conversions  could  take  place  at  all, — 
a  barren  time  in  the  world's  history,  a  unique  and 
utter  desolation  otherwise  of  spiritual  influences ! 

And  thus  you  will  find  that  the  practical  faith  in 
the  Holy  Ghost's  presence  now  is  scarcely  faith  in 
a  Person.  It  is  ''influence,"  like  rain,  or  dew,  or 
gentle  breeze, — and  these  are  true  and  scriptural 
figures  so  far,  but  quite  impersonal.  They  talk  of 
a  "  measure  of  the  Spirit,"  and  every  fresh  stirring 
of  heart  they  find  is  a  fresh  "  baptism  "  of  the  Spirit. 
The  evident  and  necessary  result  is  that  they  lose 
the  first  requisite  for  faith  in  Him  as  One  come 
down  to  take  charge  for  Christ  on  earth,  to  dwell 
as  God  in  the  house  of  God,  to  animate  and  govern 
the  body  of  Christ,  as  the  spirit  in  man  guides  and 
governs  the  natural  body. 


SARDIS.  185 

Hence  church-government,  in  people's  minds, 
has  nothing  to  do  really  with  His  presence  here. 
Bishops,  priests,  and  deacons  may  need,  and  of 
course  do  need,  His  influences.  So,  in  theory,  does 
the  pope.  But  practically  the  ordering  of  things  is 
(within  certain  limits,  whether  of  church-tradition 
or  of  Scripture,  so  far  as  Scripture  is  supposed  to 
serve,)  in  human  hands,  and  subject  to  human  wills. 
"The  Church  has  power  to  decree  rites  and  cere- 
monies, and  authority  in  controversies  of  faith." 
"  And  those  [ministers]  we  ought  to  judge  lawfully 
called  and  sent  which  be  chosen  and  called  to  this 
work  BY  MEN  who  have  public  authority  given 
unto  them  in  the  congregation  to  call  and  send 
ministers  into  the  Lord's  vineyard."  But  the  Holy 
Ghost  may  not  have  "  called  or  sent "  them !  Well, 
that,  of  course;  and  that  is  provided  for:  for 
"although  in  the  visible  church  the  evil  be  ever 
mingled  with  the  good,  and  sometimes  the  evil  have 
chief  authority  in  the  ministratioyi  of  the  Word  and 
sacraments,  yet  forasmuch  as  they  do  not  the  same 
in  their  own  name,  but  in  Christ's,  and  DO  minister 
BY  His  commission  and  authority,  we  may  use 
their  ministry  both  in  hearing  of  the  Word  of  God 
and  receiving  of  the  sacraments" ! ! 

Thus  they  may  have  Christ's  commission  al- 
though the  Holy  Ghost  hath  not  "called  or  sent" 
them :  Christ  and  the  Holy  Ghost  are  made  to  be 
at  issue,  and  the  Church  can  go  on  ordering  and 
ordaining  in  despite  of  the  Spirit  Himself! 

And  this  is  order ;  while  those  who  desire  to 
yield  subjection  to  the  Word  and  Spirit  of  God 
alone  are  convicted  of  being  rebels  against  proper 
authority,  and  sure  to  end  in  confusion  and  (as  some 
have  said,)  in  "atoms" !  Yet  faith  will  follow  where 


1 86  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

God  leads,  owning  indeed  that  in  His  path  all  will 
be  confusion  that  is  not  subjection ;  and  that,  leave 
Him  out,  we  at  least  have  no  resource.  Let  it  be 
so:  we  will  abide  the  issue. 

But  let  us  contemplate  a  little  while  now  the 
other  side  of  things.  We  have  had  before  us  what 
is  intensely  sorrowful,  more  provocative  of  tears 
than  Jezebel's  corruption.  There,  the  very  malig- 
nity of  the  evil  roused  the  whole  soul  against  it: 
here,  there  is  the  fruit  of  what  was  in  the  beginning 
a  movement  of  God.  He  can  speak  of  what  they 
had  seen  and  heard,  and  exhort  to  hold  it  fast. 
There  are  still  ''things  that  remain,"  although 
"ready  to  die."  And  how  can  we  but  sorrow  in- 
tensely over  what  was  so  fair  in  its  earliest  promise, 
and  received  its  baptism  in  the  blood  of  martyrs  ? 

Yet  the  word  to  the  overcomer,  once  again  re- 
curring here,  comforts  us  with  its  recurrence.  It 
links  us,  if  we  have  ears  to  hear,  with  the  same 
little  remnant  that  has  ever  been  finding  its  way, 
through  storm  and  flood,  to  Him  from  whose  love 
neither  tribulation,  nor  distress,  nor  persecution, 
nor  famine,  nor  nakedness,  nor  peril,  nor  sword 
can  separate,  and  in  which  they  have  approved 
themselves,  through  Him,  more  than  conquerors. 
The  overcoming  may  be  now  in  a  new  sphere,  and 
separation  may  have  to  be  from  brethren,  in  some 
sense,  of  a  common  faith,  heirs  of  great  names  in 
faith's  records.  Yet,  in  the  overcoming,  only  over- 
corners  are  their  true  successors.  Not  those  who, 
in  our  Lord's  days,  built  the  sepulchres  of  the 
prophets,  represented  them,  or  were  linked  with 
them,  in  His  account,  but  those  whom  He  sent 
forth  to  be  persecuted  by  these  same  admirers  of 
antiquity. 


SARDIS.  187 

And  God  must  teach  us  independence,  even  of 
one  another, — that  rightful  independence  which 
springs  from  real  and  lowly  dependence  upon  Him. 
In  His  presence,  what  were  even  the  greatest  of 
His  followers?  How  can  I  say  to  another,  "Rabbi, 
Rabbi,"  when  I  must  take  the  honor  from  Him  that 
I  deck  another  with?  If  I  had  not  Him,  it  were 
lowliness;  if  I  have  Him,  it  is  dishonor  to  Him. 

It  is  not  schism,  this  separate  path,  when  not  my 
own  will  leads  me,  but  His  Word  and  Spirit!  It 
is  not  separation  in  heart  from  brethren,  if  Christ 
be  dearer  to  me  still  than  they.  Nay,  love  to  them 
approves  itself  only  thus,  as  the  apostle  teaches  us, 
"  when  we  love  God  and  keep  His  commandments." 
(i  Jno.  v.  2.) 

Faith's  victories  are  not  in  applause  wrung  from 
a  multitude,  but  in  the  path  of  One,  true  Joseph, 
separated  from  His  brethren ;  and  God  has  over- 
ruled the  presence  of  evil  (which,  I  need  not  say, 
He  has  not  caused)  to  the  giving  us  a  path,  at  least 
in  its  circumstances,  the  more  Christlike.  We  are 
not  left  to  the  subjection  to  evil :  He  calls  us  to  rise 
above  it.  The  difficulties  of  the  path  are  only  to 
carry  us  through  them  all.  Every  encouragement 
throughout  these  epistles  is  held  out  simply  to  the 
overcomer.  The  Lord  give  us  only  the  needed 
energy.  The  time  is  short:  the  end  is  at  hand. 
The  grace  that  is  now  sufficient  for  all  daily  need 
will  soon  be  manifested  in  the  crowning  of  the  con- 
querors. Then  those  that  are  poor  shall  have  the 
kingdom ;  the  mourners  shall  be  comforted ;  the 
meek  shall  have  the  inheritance ;  the  hungerers  and 
thirsters  after  righteousness  shall  be  filled;  above  all, 
the  pure  in  heart  shall  see  God — the  God  whom  sin 
for  the  time  has  banished  from  the  earth  He  made. 


1 88  PRESENT  THINGS,  ETC. 

Philadelphia :  the  Revival  of  the  Word  of  Christy  and 
the  Brotherhood  of  Christians. 

(Rev.  iii.  7-13.) 

We  come  now  to  a  phase  of  the  Church's  history 
of  the  deepest  interest  and  of  the  greatest  possible 
importance  to  us.  How  great  it  must  be  to 
reahze  a  condition  which  the  Lord  can  commend 
,  and  only  commend !  For  in  this  address  to 
Philadelphia  there  is  no  word  of  reproof  through- 
out. Warning  there  is,  and  of  this  we  shall  have 
to  take  special  note;  but  reproof  there  is  none! 
How  blessed  a  condition  to  be  in,  when  the  "  Holy  " 
^  and  the  "True"  can  smile  upon  us  thus  with  not  a 
\  cloud  to  obscure  His  love !  It  should  be,  of  course, 
the  condition  of  Christians  always;  and  sweet  it  is 
to  remember  that  thus,  all  through  the  ages  of  its 
course,  when  as  a  phase  of  its  history  Philadelphia 
yet  was  not,  the  Church  had  its  Philadelphians 
nevertheless.  Manifestly  it  had  when  John  was 
instructed  to  write  this  epistle ;  and  if  the  general 
character  of  things  around,  even  in  an  apostle's 
days,  did  not  answer  to  this,  only  the  greater  would 
be  the  Lord's  approbation  of  the  few  who  were 
thus  faithful.  Overcomers  they  are  whom  He  is 
commending;  and  the  adverse  condition  of  things 
around  can  never,  let  us  mark  it  well,  be  really 
adverse  to  the  overcoming.  They  furnish,  rather, 
some  of  the  conditions  of  it.  If  we  have  but  the 
spirit  of  the  overcomer,  all  the  evil,  whether  in  the 
world  or  in  the  Church  itself,  will  only  make  us 
this  the  more. 

Before  we  take  up  the  details  of  the  address  be- 
fore us,  let  us  seek  to  get  hold  of  the  character  of 
the  church  in  Philadelphia.     And  for  this  we  must 


PHILADELPHIA.  1 89 

remember  in  the  first  place  what  we  have  seen  to 
be  represented  by  that  in  Sardis.  Sardis  undoubt-) 
edly  stands  for  the  national  churches  of  the  Ref- 
ormation, in  which  masses  of  peoples,  Christianized 
externally,  not  truly,  possessed  a  ^' name  to  live," 
and  yet  were  "dead."  Among-  these,  indeed,^ 
though  few  comparatively,  were  those  not  only 
living,  but  faithful, — men  who  walked  in  spirit 
apart,  and  did  not  defile  their  garments; — men  of 
whom  their  Lord  says,  "  They  shall  walk  with  Me 
in  white,  for  they  are  worthy."  Yet  their  presence 
did  not  alter  the  general  character  of  that  in  which 
they  were — in  it,  but  not  of  it. 

Sardis,  then,  is  the  world,  Christianized  as  far  as^ 
possible  to  be  still  the  world,  with  Christians! 
scattered  through  it.  Philadelphia  stands  withj 
its  principle  of  "  brotherly  love,"  in  essential  con- 
trast with  it  as  that  in  which  the  brotherhood  of 
saints  is  found  and  recognized.  //  represents  the 
movement  of  the  Spirit^  therefore,  to  recover  the  true 
Church,  lost  amid  the  confusion  of  Sardis,  uniting 
the  members  of  Christ  together  in  one,  outside  the 
mere  profession.  This,  if  once  fairly  considered, 
will  be  evident.  It  is  not  meant,  however,  by  this 
that  this  movement  has  any  proportionate  success 
as  might  seem  thus  assured.  It  is  one  of  our 
strange  and  sorrowful  yet  familiar  experiences, 
that  Christians  can  grieve,  limit,  quench,  the  Spirit 
in  its  action,  and  all  the  history  of  the  Church  that 
we  have  been  examining  is  the  reiterated  assurance 
of  this.  Moreover,  in  the  address  to  Philadelphia 
itself  we  have  a  very  impressive  warning  to  the 
same  effect. 

It  has  been  already  said,  and  is  plain  enough  in 
it,  that  the  Lord's  message  in  this  case  contains  no 


IQO  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

rebuke,  but  the  sweetest  possible  sanction  and  en- 
couragement. Not  that  there  is  Pentecostal  energy 
or  blessing  indeed.  *^Thou  hast  3,  Iztt/e  strength" 
negatives  such  a  thought,  if  we  were  disposed  to 
entertain  it.  Still  this  is  commendation,  and  not 
blame,  and  blame  there  is  none.  On  this  very 
account  there  seems  a  difficulty,  which  presses  for 
solution.  For  the  final  blessing  is  assured,  in  this 
as  every  other  of  these  epistles,  to  the  over  comer  : 
*'  Him  that  overcometJi  will  I  make  a  pillar  in  the 
temple  of  My  God,  and  he  shall  go  no  more  out." 
And  here  the  reference  is  plainly  to  such  pillars  as 
Jachin  ("  He  shall  establish  ")  and  Boaz  ("  In  which 
is  strength  ")  in  the  temple  of  old,  and  on  the  other 
hand  to  the  "little  strength"  before  ascribed  to 
Philadelphia.  He  who  has  little  strength  becomes 
in  the  end  a  pillar  of  strength,  and  the  true  Phila- 
delphian  (it  is  inferred  here,)  is  in  fact  the  over- 
comer.     Philadelphia  is  but  the  company  of  such. 

But  then  it  returns  upon  us  with  double  force, 
what  can  be  this  overcoming?  For  in  every  case 
beside,  but  one,  throughout  these  churches,  it  is 
plain  that  the  overcoming  is  of  things  inside  the 
church:  in  Ephesus,  the  failure  of  first  love;  in 
Pergamos,  the  settling  in  the  world ;  in  Thyatira, 
the  doctrines  and  deeds  of  Jezebel ;  in  Sardis,  de- 
filement with  the  dead ;  in  Laodicea,  the  lukewarm 
condition.  In  Smyrna,  indeed,  though  there  is  a 
Judaizing  party  there,  yet  the  direct  promise  seems 
to  refer  more  to  the  threatening  of  death  from 
without,  although  it  cannot  be  denied  that  the  Ju- 
daized  Christianity  found  easier  escape  from  this, 
and  Satan's  open  violence  might  therefore  well 
drive  many  (it  can  hardly  be  doubted,  did^  into  his 
secret  snare. 


PHILADELPHIA.  I9I 

But  in  Philadelphia,  rich  with  the  Lord's  ap- 
proval, yet  with  no  such  front  of  persecution  to 
endure,  it  does  require  answer, — Where,  then,  the 
overcoming?  By  which,  moreover,  every  true 
Philadelphian  seems  as  much  to  be  characterized 
as  every  Smyrnean  was.  Not  every  Ephesian  was 
this,  still  less  every  one  at  Pergamos,  or  Thyatira, 
or  Sardis,  or  Laodicea.  The  Philadelphian  was 
such,  as  he  overcame.  But  what  peril  then,  or  diffi- 
culty, or  opposition?  The  answer  is  only  one; 
the  question  admits  no  other. 

There  is  nothing  but  commendation  in  the  ad- 
dress,— that  is,  no  blame.  But  there  is  warning, 
and  in  this  warning  is  pointed  out  the  danger  that 
threatens.  It  is  the  only  danger  pointed  out,  and 
therefore  clearly  makes  known  to  us  what  is  to  be 
overcome.  The  warning  word  is,  "  Hold  fast  that 
which  thou  hast,  that  no  man  take  thy  croivn.''  Here, 
then,  must  be  the  overcoming.  The  danger  is,  of 
letting  slip  the  Philadelphian  character.  And  it  is 
a  real  and  pressing  danger, — so  pressing,  that 
upon  the  mastery  of  it  all  blessing  is  suspended. 
It  is  the  point  of  peril. 

Philadelphia  represents  the  Spirit  of  God  work- 
ing in  living  energy  to  deliver  from  that  which  is 
engulfing  the  people  of  God  in  a  flood  of  worldli- 
ness.  Alliance  with  the  world  is  the  forfeiture  of 
Christian  position  practically,  and  of  enjoyed  priv- 
ilege. So  the  Word  of  God  definitely  declares. 
The  unequal  yoke, — the  yoke  with  unbelievers, — 
must  be  refused,  or  the  unclean  thing  forbids  the 
Lord  Almighty  to  be  to  His  people  the  Father  that 
He  is  (2  Cor.  vi.  17,  18).  Separation  from  the  world 
is  not  any  the  more  schism  because  this  has  been 
falsely  called  the  Church ;  nor  will  "  the  lust  of  the 


192  PRESENT    THINGS,   ETC. 

flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eyes,  and  the  pride  of  Hfe,"  its 
moral  characteristics,  be  purged  out  by  the  adop- 
tion of  the  Christian  name.  Thus  the  state  religions 
are  directly  accountable  for  the  divisions  which 
have  always  marked  them  from  the  beginning  of 
their  history.  Every  revival  tends  to  break  them 
up.  Where  there  is  none,  there  we  find  continual 
gravitation  to  a  lower  level,  which  no  orthodoxy 
of  the  creed  can  really  avert. 

The  work  of  the  Spirit,  then,  will  necessarily 
bring  about  dissent  from  the  national  church.  And 
it  will  be  found  that,  at  their  beginnings  at  least, 
such  movements  have  been  very  largely  marked 
by  a  new  fervency  of  spirit,  a  zeal  and  earnestness 
which  have  made  their  first  generations  men  of 
power.  The  movement,  purified  by  the  opposition 
it  has  necessarily  to  endure,  discovers  and  brings 
together  the  most  spiritual.  Consciences  are 
exercised,  the  Word  is  felt  and  opened,  Christ's 
presence  becomes  more  necessary  and  more  real, 
the  fellowship  of  saints  is  valued.  In  a  word,  the 
character  of  the  movement  manifests  itself  as 
Philadelphian. 

It  is  the  voice  and  person  of  Christ  which  are 
here  controlling,  and  he  who  is  thus  controlled  is 
upon  a  path  of  unlimited  progress  and  unspeakable 
blessing.  The  clue-line  is  in  his  hand  which  will 
lead  him  out  of  all  entanglements,  from  truth  to 
truth,  from  strength  to  strength.  There  is  but  one 
condition  here,  and  that  is,  manifestly,  that  he 
'^  holds  fast "  the  clue-line.  If  he  drops  this,  progress 
is  at  an  end,  his  path  becomes  devious.  Alas!  is  it 
a  rare  thing  for  those  who  have  begun  in  the  Spirit 
to  be  made  perfect  by  the  flesh  ? 

Asshur  went  out  from   Babylon, — so  far,  well; 


PHILADELPHIA.  I93 

but  only  to  found  Nineveh,  Babylon's  rival  and 
counterpart.  And  this  is  the  history  of  much  that 
was  spiritual  in  its  beginning,  and  since  has  grown 
great.  At  first  there  was  simpHcity  and  faith,  and 
Christ  the  Leader  of  true  pilgrims.  Now  they  are 
but  conservators  of  a  tradition  of  the  past,  and  their 
glory  is  a  golden  age  gone  from  them.  They  are 
often  in  this  case  earnest  in  holding  fast,  but  not  to 
a  living  Leader:  they  have  dropped  the  clue  of 
progress,  and  lost  their  crown  to  others.  No 
wpnder,  then,  at  the  emphasis  laid  upon  this 
warning  in  the  epistle. 

This,  then,  is,  in  brief,  what  Philadelphia  is.  The 
appHcation  in  particular  may  and  will  be  differently 
made  according  to  what  we  are  and  where  we  are 
ourselves  ;  and  we  have  special  need  of  care  to  test 
ourselves  truly  by  it.  For  to  test  ourselves  is  surely 
the  use  that  we  are  called  to  make  of  so  solemn  and 
yet  so  blessed  a  word  as  this  is.  We  are  bound  to 
ask.  Are  we  such  as  keep  Christ's  word  and  do  not 
deny  His  name,  and  who  keep  also  the  word  of 
His  patience?  Blessed,  thrice  blessed  for  us  if 
we  are! 

Let  us  look,  then,  with  something  like  suited 
care,  into  the  details  of  the  Saviour's  message. 

It  has  been  often  observed,  and  is  evidently  true,^ 
that  the  person   of  the  Lord  is  more  prominent ' 
in  this  address  than  in  any  of  the  others.     It  is  ] 
a  beautiful  testimony  that    He  is  being  Himself 
sought  after  with  a  new  earnestness,  to  which  He 
with  a  full  heart  responds.     And  the  character  in 
which  He  displays  Himself  is  that  of  hoHness  and 
truth;  for  there  is  no  way  of  nearness  to  Him  but 
by  separation  from  the  evil  that  He  hates,  and  be- 


194  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

ing  formed  by  the  truth  which  He  reveals.  The 
Word  is  separative  and  formative.  The  mark  of 
its  reception  is,  the  abandonment  of  all  iniquity, 
marked  as  such,  not  by  the  common  conscience  of 
men,  but  by  the  Word  itself.  This  is  the  sign  of 
entrance  into  the  sanctuary — of  the  presence  of  the 
Lord  realized,  when  in  His  light  we  see  light. 

Absolute  iriithfulntss  is  rare  indeed.  The  penalties 
attending  it  are  sO  many,  often  to  be  escaped  by 
so  slight  a  swerving  from  the  strict  path, — a  path 
often  so  lonely  and  without  sympathy,  and  so 
barren  as  it  might  seem  in  its  isolation.  Even  to 
Christians,  Christ  often  appears  to  have  deserted 
it.  And  then  after  all  to  break  down  there!  and 
what  so  likely  as  to  break  down?  In  this  way  we 
may  connive  at  self-deception ;  for  what  do  all  these 
reasonings  amount  to,  but  that  the  path  is  to  be  a 
path  of  faith  to  us  now  as  it  ever  was,  and  diffi- 
culties are  to  be  as  ever  the  test  of  faith? 

Here,  then,  is  conscience  challenged  as  we  enter  on 
this  address  to  Philadelphia.  Have  we  indeed  the 
"  courage  of  our  convictions  "  ?  or,  perhaps,  have  we 
the  courage  to  expose  ourselves  to  possible  conviction? 

And  note  that  the  "  holy  "  goes  before  the  '*  true." 
There  may  be  "  truth,"  or  ''genuineness!'  as  the  word 
means,  where  after  all  holiness  is  not  maintained. 
Satan  succeeds  by  some  puzzle  for  the  mind  in 
diverting  many  from  a  true  issue.  Authority  may 
be  pressed  and  bowed  to  as  from  God,  and  the  soul 
awed  into  subjection  to  what  it  dares  not  approach 
near  enough  to  recognize  in  its  true  character. 
Conscience  may  act,  but  blindfold,  at  the  bidding 
of  another  than  its  *'one  Master."  With  Him,  on 
the  other  hand,  the  ''holiness'''  it  is  that  guarantees 
the  "  truth." 


PHILADELPHIA.  I95 

He  who  thus  declares  Himself  invites  after  all  to 
no  path  of  uselessness:  He  has  the  key  of  David,  is 
Ruler  over  the  kingdom  absolutely,  opens  and  no  one 
shuts,  and  shuts  and  no  one  opens;  and  to  those 
whom  He  addresses,  pledges  an  open  door,  plainly 
for  service,  as  the  whole  tenor  here  implies,  and  as 
the  apostle  three  times  over  uses  the  expression 
(i  Cor.  xvi.  9;  2  Cor.  ii.  12 ;  Col.  iv.  3).  Who  could  be 
in  Christ's  company  without  finding  on  the  one  hand 
His  rejection,  on  the  other  how  human  hearts  rec- 
ognize their  Lord?  Here  is  no  contradiction,  but 
what  every  page  of  the  gospels  bears  witness  of  to  us. 

Assuredly  faith  will  still  be  necessary,  and  a 
judgment  by  results  will  be  often  much  mistaken. 
If  we  wait  for  these  to  authenticate  our  course  to 
us,  we  must  in  the  meanwhile  walk  doubtfully,  and 
not  in  faith.  These  words  are  an  assurance  rather 
to  those  who  may  be  pursuing  what  to  sense  seems 
doubtful  enough  as  to  its  issue.  He  affirms  it  to 
them.  If  they  have  the  character  here, — if  they  are 
with  the  Holy  and  the  True, — holy  with  the  Holy, 
true  with  the  True, — then  precisely  because  of  this 
assurance,  they  need  not  ask.  Will  this  be  fulfilled — 
is  it  being  fulfilled  to  us?  Our  eyes  must  be  upon 
the  path  and  the  Leader.  Success,  where  it  seems 
fullest,  must  yet  be  tested  rather  by  the  future  than 
the  present — rather  by  eternity  than  time;  and  he 
who  follows  it  most  will  be  most  distracted  by 
other  voices  than  His  who  speaks  here.  What 
tempter  lures  indeed  the  servants  of  Christ  like 
this?  For  how  many  does  success,  rather  than  the 
Word  of  God,  sanction  their  measures,  while  allur- 
ing them  into  direct  opposition  to  the  Word !  If 
even  gained  in  true  obedience,  how  often  does  the 
flattery   of  great  achievement   unbalance  a  soul 


196  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

which  adversity  could  only  school  to  more  en- 
durance! These  things  are  but  common-places  01 
experience;  and  in  view  of  them,  we  need  not 
wonder  if  God  has,  in  general,  been  sparing  in 
measuring  out  to  His  people  great  success. 

And  yet  finally  the  success  is  great  indeed,  as  it 
is  certain  to  those  who  conform  to  the  rule  laid 
down  as  of  old  to  Joshua:  ''This  book  of  the  law 
shall  not  depart  out  of  thy  mouth ;  but  thou  shalt 
meditate  therein  day  and  night,  that  thou  mayest 
observe  to  do  according  to  all  that  is  written  there- 
in :  for  then  thou  shalt  make  thy  way  prosperous, 
and  then  shalt  thou  have  good  success."  Alas! 
how  much  oftener  is  this  thought  to  be  insured  by 
a  supple  and  worldly  wisdom  than  by  a  close  and 
undeviating  adherence  to  the  Word  of  God ! 

The  Lord  now  gives  here,  as  elsewhere,  what  He 
approves  in  them  :  ''  For  thou  hast  a  little  strength, 
and  hast  kept  My  word,  and  hast  not  denied  My 
name." 

A  little  strength  He  marks  and  approves;  yet  it 
is  but  a  little.  No  Pentecostal  energy  revived,  no 
faith  that  can  move  mountains,  shall  we  find  here. 
The  ''day  of  small  things,"  in  the  Christian  as  in 
the  Jewish  history,  is  not  at  its  beginning,  but  at 
its  close.  It  is  a  great  mistake  to  confound  the  day 
of  Ezra  with  the  day  of  David.  And  although  it 
may  be  said,  and  truly,  that  eternal  Hfe  and  the 
power  of  the  Spirit  know  no  decrepitude,  j^et  our 
day  and  generation  leave  their  imprint  on  us.  They 
should  not ;  we  are  not  blameless  in  it ;  yet  they  do. 
Still  "a  little  strength"  is  here  approval. 

And  how  is  this  marked?  Surely  in  what  fol- 
lows,— "  Thou  hast  kept  My  word,  and  not  denied 
My  name."   It  is  not  in  gifts  restored  to  the  Church, 


PHILADELPHIA.  I97 

as  some  claim  now ;  it  is  not  in  ecclesiastical  posi- 
tion, nor  in  numbers,  nor  in  place  among  men ; — in 
none  of  these  things  is  there  strength  before  God, 
but  in  obedience  and  devotedness. 

We  have  seen  in  Thyatira  Jezebel's  word  claimed 
as  inspired  and  authoritative ;  we  have  seen,  too, 
in  Sardis,  a  separation  from  and  refusal  of  such 
claim :  yet  the  Church,  though  no  longer  inspired, 
teaches  still.  There  is,  as  men  say,  an  open  Bible, 
(blessed  be  God  for  it !)  and  with  this,  a  certain 
necessary  diffusion  of  light.  The  Reformation 
creeds  insist  upon  the  fundamental  truths  of  the 
gospel,  and  these  have  been  sealed  by  the  lives  and 
deaths  of  the  martyrs.  At  the  first,  also,  these 
creeds  are  in  harmony  with  the  convictions  of  those 
who  subscribe  them,  although  very  soon  dissent 
has  to  be  embodied  in  a  separate  creed.  Then  a 
strife  of  creeds  begins  which  has  been  the  shame 
and  reproach  of  Protestantism, — which  has  added 
schism  to  schism  and  sect  to  sect. 

For  the  creed  in  Protestantism, — the  pretension 
to  catholicity,  as  in  Rome,  being  gone, — means 
sectarianism.  Who  that  has  the  thought  of  Christ's 
Church  would  undertake  to  frame  a  confession  or 
constitution  for  it?  Hence  all  such  things  now  are 
local,  and  professedly  for  a  part  only.  It  is  a  fenc- 
ing off  of  a  greater  or  less  number  from  the  rest. 
If  you  cannot  agree,  you  are  at  best  dismissed  to  go 
elsewhere,  and  find  or  make  a  party  for  yourself. 

But  he  who  will  keep .  Christ's  word  can  bind 
himself  to  none, — must  preserve  his  individuality 
of  conscience,  subject  to  one  Master  only  ;  as  much 
so  as  if  there  were  no  other  Christians  but  himself 
on  earth :  and  in  a  true  walk  with  God,  the  knowl- 
edge  of   Himself,   acquaintance   with    His  Word 


198  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

increases  with  each  step  of  the  way.  The  Hght 
brightens  to  the  perfect  day,  and  in  this  brighten- 
ing Hght  we  are  called  to  walk,  true  to  it,  and  to 
Him  whose  light  it  is.  An  immense  thing  it  is,  in 
a  day  like  this,  to  be  keeping,  with  an  exercised 
heart,  the  word  of  Christ!  Not  a  word  here  and 
there ;  not  following  it  until  the  cost  may  be  too 
much;  but  through  honor  and  dishonor,  through 
evil  report  and  good  report.  For  is  there  right 
obedience  any  where,  when  there  is  not  in  our  pur- 
pose obedience  every  where?  Can  He  whom  we 
serve  accept  a  compromise  to  His  own  dishonor, 
when  we  really  tell  Him  we  will  do  this,  but  not 
that,  at  His  bidding?  Solemn  questions  these, 
which  may  His  grace  keep  ringing  in  our  ears, 
until  they  wake  up  only  harmonies  of  joy  and  peace 
within  our  souls,  and  not  self-accusation. 

Let  us  understand  that  keeping  Christ's  word 
means,  if  it  mean  any  thing,  honest  subjection  to 
the  whole  of  it:  to  that  of  which  we  may  not  even 
perceive  the  importance,  as  if  we  did;  calling 
nothing  little  which  He  enjoins — of  what  has  equal 
authority  with  the  weightiest  to  emphasize  it  for 
us.  Herein  is  often  the  truest  test  of  a  right  spirit 
in  us,  when  we  obey  not  in  uncertainty,  but  in 
darkness;  and  go  out  upon  His  leading,  not 
knowing  where. 

We  have  need  to  remember,  too,  that  our  own 
contrary  wills  are  often  the  most  effectual  hinder^ 
ances  to  receiving  what  is  really  Christ's  word. 
How  solemn  it  is  to  think  that  of  the  mass  of  things 
in  which  we  differ  from  each  other  as  Christians, 
this  contrariety  must  needs  account  for  very  much 
the  larger  part.  The  Lord's  words  are  plain 
enough,  and  universally  appUcable,  that  ''if  any  one 


PHILADELPHIA.  1 99 

will  do  God's  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine 
whether  it  be  of  God."  It  is  due  to  Him  to  own 
that  as  the  blessed  Spirit  of  God  could  not  lead 
into  contradictory  beliefs,  these  differences  must 
be  of  us,  and  not  of  Him,  But  then,  found  as  they 
are  in  so  many  whom  we  must  esteem  as  godly 
men,  what  a  warning  they  give  us  of  how  much 
that  is  not  of  God, — of  real  insubjection — may  be 
found  even  in  such.  So  far  as  we  have  indeed 
whole-heartedly  followed  Him,  who  can  doubt  that 
He  has  led  us  right?  But  then  how  little  really 
unreserved  following  of  Him  there  must  be  after  all ! 

And  who  can  measure  the  loss  even  now?  and 
who  then  can  measure  the  eternal  loss,  when  we 
thus  let  slip  communion  with  Himself?  And  how 
many  are  trying  to  win  it  back,  or  make  up  for  its 
absence  by  filling  their  hands  with  work  for  Him, 
as  if  they  were  almost  persuaded  that  **  to  obey  is  " 
not  *'  better  than  sacrifice,  and  to  hearken  than  the 
fat  of  rams." 

How  plainly  perceptible  it  is  when  a  soul  reaches 
the  barrier  line  beyond  which  he  will  not  go! 
Activities  may  go  on,  and  the  whole  outward  man 
be  no  other  than  it  was,  yet  there  is  something 
gone  from  the  soul  which  at  once  one  with  God 
will  discern  as  hindering  fellowship.  How  sorrow- 
ful to  lose  one  another's  company  this  way,  while 
yet  perhaps  the  feet  go  on  together !  But  if  we  lose 
Christ's  companionship,  what  shall  replace  it? 

Naturally  and  necessarily  connected,  then,  with 
"Thou  hast  kept  My  word,"  is  this:  "and  hast  not 
denied  My  name."  Christ's  name  expresses  what 
He  is.  "They  shall  call  His  name  'Emmanuel,' 
which  being  interpreted  is,  '  God  with  us.'  "  And 
to  fulfill   this.    He   is   named  "Jesus"--" Jehovah 


200  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

saving;"  for  save  He  must,  that  God  may  dwell 
among  us.  Thus,  again,  He  is  ''Christ,"  the 
Anointed  One,  to  fill  the  Mediator  s  place, — with 
God  for  us,  with  us  for  God.  Who  that  knows  it 
would  deny  this  blessed  name? 

What  does  it  express,  what  does  it  emphasize  for 
us  but  communion  with  God?  He  hath  come  out 
after  us,  left  His  place  and  glory,  to  let  the  light  of 
that  glory  in  upon  pur  hearts.  It  is  in  Him,  this 
glory,  in— 

"The  person  of  the  Christ, 
Enfolding  every  grace." 

Justified  we  must  be,  to  be  able  to  draw  nigh  ;  and 
without  sanctification  "  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord ; " 
but  the  Lord  Himself  is  thus  the  end  and  sum  of  all. 
"  Christ  is  all,"  says  one  whose  life  spake  with  his 
lips ;  and  '^  I  count  all  things  but  loss  for  the  excel- 
lency of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  my  Lord ; 
for  whom  1  have  suffered  the  loss  of  all  things,  and 
do  count  them  but  dung,  that  I  may  win  Christ, 
and  be  found  in  Him." 

It  is,  as  often  said,  what  gives  the  pecuHar  glow 
to  the  picture  of  Philadelphia  here,  that  it  is  Christ 
personally  who  fills  the  scene  of  their  vision,  and 
who  associates  them  with  Himself.  This  is  what 
gives  them  their  name,  surely,  in  its  spiritual  power 
and  value ;  for  never  was  Christ  welcomed  into  a 
heart  but  He  made  room  in  it  for  all  His  people. 
This  is  true  linking  with  one  another  when  we  are 
united  by  the  Centre, — when  our  association  is  first 
of  all  with  Christ,  and  this  determines  the  measure 
and  character  of  all  other  associations.  For  indeed 
there  is  much,  even  among  the  people  of  God,  that 
is  not  Philadelphian,  but  only  a  corrupt  and  evil 
counterfeit.     If  our  '* part"  is  first  of  all  to  be  with 


PHILADELPHIA.  20I 

Christ,  let  us  hear  Him  say,  "  Except  I  wash  thee, 
thou  hast  wo  part  with  Me!'  And  this  is  not  spoken 
of  the  first  general  ''  washing "  when  we  are  born 
anew,  which  the  Lord  expressly  distinguishes  from 
this  washing  of  the  feet,  the  cleansing  from  all  de- 
filement by  the  way.  If  He  washes,  there  can  be 
no  compromise  with  defilement ;  our  feet  must  be 
in  His  hand;  there  must  be  surrender  to  Him  at 
all  points,  so  that  He  may  be  able  to  show  us  all 
that  is  evil  in  His  sight.  Thus  alone  can  we  have 
part  with  Him ;  and  therefore  in  this  way  only  can 
we  have  rightly  part  with  one  another. 

To  this  such  union  as  can  be  obtained  by  com- 
promise is  in  essential  contradiction.  It  is  mere 
confederacy,  whatever  may  be  the  end  proposed. 
God  has  one  method  for  us  by  which  we  may  walk 
together  according  to  His  mind,  and  only  one.  We 
are  to  *'  follow  righteousness,  faith,  love,  peace,  with 
those  who  call  on  the  Lord  out  of  a  pure  heart." 
By  taking  the  same  road,  we  are  necessarily  brought 
together.  The  road  is  guaranteed  to  us  by  its  four 
decisive  marks;  and  here  there  can  be  no  com- 
promise, we  must  not  give  up  any  one  of  these. 
Moreover,  it  is  thus  by  a  path  in  the  strictest  sense 
individual  that  we  find  our  company;  yet  it  is  wide 
enough  to  contain  '■''all  that  call  upon  the  Lord  out 
of  a  pure  heart."  Its  characters  are,  first  of  all, 
"righteousness,"  and  this  must  be  maintained  be- 
fore we  can  properly  speak  of  "  faith  "  at  all.  But 
then  "faith"  marks  the  conscience  in  the  presence 
of  a  living  Lord,  as  well  as  a  heart  confiding  in 
Him ;  and  so  it  is  only  that  we  can  have  this  rest- 
ful, practical  confidence,  as  we  walk  in  conscious 
recognition  of  and  obedience  to  His  will.  Here 
"love"  then  comes  in  due  place, — we  can  now  let 


202  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

our  hearts  out;  and  in  this  atmosphere  love  will 
develop  itself.  While  lastly,  ''peace"  characterizes 
it  in  view  of  opposition  and  conflict  and  trouble: 
the  Lord  is  over  all  the  uprising  of  the  waterfloods. 

In  all  this,  it  may  be  said,  there  is  nothing  but 
the  most  complete  individualism ;  yet  here  it  is  we 
find  the  divine  law  of  association.  There  is  no 
confederation,  no  agreement,  no  prescription  of 
terms  to  one  another.  One  Master  prescribes  to 
every  one  his  place,  and  in  accepting  that  place 
we  find  the  true  law  of  co-operation  with  one  an- 
other. United  to  Him  as  members  of  His  bod}', 
we  are,  to  begin  with,  "  members  one  of  another." 
This  is  not  a  question  submitted  to  us,  whether  we 
shall  be  one ;  and  to  form  other  unions,  while  it 
may  be  ignorance,  is  none  the  less  complete  oppo- 
sition to  His  will.  Alas!  in  our  day  it  is  not 
"union  is  obedience''  that  is  the  motto,  but  "union 
\s  strength';''  2indi  for  whatever  purpose  men  may 
have,  they  combine.  Strength  of  a  certain  sort  is 
found,  no  doubt ;  but  it  is  not  where  he  found  it 
who  says,  "When  I  am  weak,  then  am  I  strong;" 
"  I  can  do  all  things  through  Christ,  who  strength- 
eneth  me." 

Individuality  is  thus  lost,  a  majority  decides  for 
the  remainder;  for  the  advantage  gained,  certain 
things  which  we  do  not  approve  must  be  acqui- 
esced in.  Conscience,  at  first  uneasy,  becomes 
more  tolerant.  More  demands  made  upon  it  find 
less  and  less  the  power  of  resistance.  Christ's 
word  is  given  up,  and  what  is  due  to  His  name 
forgotten.  How  many  have  thus  lost  in  their  souls 
the  sensitiveness  to  sin  they  once  had ;  yet  the 
apostle  insists,  "  Let  him  that  nameth  the  name  of 
the  Lord  depart  from  iniquity."     Blessed,  thrice 


PHILADELPHIA.  203 

blessed  are  they  who,  if  they  have  but  a  httle 
strength,  yet  have  kept  His  word,  and  do  not  deny 
His  name. 

The  next  verse  seems  somewhat  strangely  to 
connect  Philadelphia  with  Smyrna:  "Behold, 
I  will  make  them  of  the  synagogue  of  Satan, 
which  say  they  are  Jews  and  are  not,  but  do  lie; 
behold,  I  will  make  them  to  come  and  worship 
before  thy  feet,  and  to  know  that  I  have  loved 
thee."  Here  again  comes  before  us  that  class 
through  which  Satan  had  wrought  the  downfall  of 
the  already  declining  Church.  Judaism,  set  aside 
by  God,  is  now  one  of  Satan's  best  weapons  and 
most  subtle  snares.  Great  Babylon  has  built  her 
superstructure  upon  this  foundation,  and  displaced 
with  the  ritualism,  the  sacerdotalism,  and  the  legal- 
ism of  an  earlier  time,  the  simplicity  and  open 
speech,  the  equal  priesthood  and  completed  sacri- 
fice, the  free  grace  and  full  salvation,  of  Christianit}^ 
It  is  not  after  all  so  strange,  therefore,  that  if  in 
Philadelphia  we  find  the  heart  fresh  awakened  after 
Christ,  His  Word  preached  with  fresh  energy  and 
held  with  more  appreciation,  on  the  other  hand 
Satan's  old  attempt  should  be  renewed.  And  this 
the  words  here  seem  to  indicate.  They  assure  us 
also,  no  doubt,  that  for  the  true  Philadelphian  it 
will  end  only  in  defeat,  and  the  acknowledgment 
of  their  enemies  that  they  are  objects  of  Christ's 
special  love,  yet  this  does  not  assume  that  the  onset 
will  have  no  success.  God  permits  these  things  for 
the  trial  of  His  own,  and  there  was  only  One  who 
could  say,  "  The  prince  of  this  world  cometh,  and 
hath  nothing  in  Me." 

In  fact,  if  we  look  at  the  history  of  the  movement 
which  has  been  for  years  going  on,  we  shall  find 


204  PRESENT  TFIINGS,   ETC. 

that  along  with  revived  study  of  the  Word,  and 
energetic  evangelizing,  and  the  drawing  of  Chris- 
tians to  one  another,  there  has  been  an  undoubted 
revival  of  ritualism  also,  and  that  not  in  Rome 
where  it  never  had  slept,  but  in  Protestantism. 
The  Puseyite  or  Tractarian  movement,  as  it  used 
to  be  called,  had  all  the  freshness  and  energy  of 
a  revival,  and  its  success  was  marked.  At  the 
present  time,  it  is  less  noted  only  because  its  influ- 
ence is  become  a  thing  of  course ;  and  Protestant 
Episcopalianism  is  largely  leavened  with  it. 

This  may  be  thought  outside  Philadelphia,  ac- 
cording to  our  definition  of  it,  but  it  is  one  of  the 
things  it  is  called  to  meet.  Nearer  home,  however, 
in  less  developed  forms,  the  same  spirit  is  mani- 
festing itself.  The  fruits  of  many  a  revival  and 
separation  from  the  church-establishments  of 
Protestantism  have  been  blighted  by  a  spirit  of 
conformity  to  that  which  had  been  left.  The 
chapels  have  become  churches,  the  ministry  a 
priesthood,  the  congregations  multitudinous  and 
indiscriminate  under  this  influence;  and  the  desire 
for  Christian  union  has  been  perverted  into  a  desire 
for  denominational  union,  a  more  or  less  ignoring  of 
differences  which  were  once  matters  of  conscience 
for  the  soul,  but  have  become  rather  matters  of 
dispute  left  to  the  champions  of  conflicting  creeds. 

Even  for  those  most  widely  removed  (as  it  might 
seem)  from  all  this,  the  same  influences  are  at  work, 
and  should  be  no  less  dreaded.  Ecclesiasticism, 
clerisy,  the  substitution  of  corporate  for  individual 
conscience, — these  are  all  elements  of  a  return- 
movement,  the  ebb  of  the  tide  which  once  seemed 
as  if  it  could  not  so  soon  fail.  But  they  are  ele- 
ments also  of  that  Judaism  with  which  man's  mind, 


PHILADELPHIA.  20$ 

if  it  slip  away  from  God,  so  readily  assimilates.  In 
fact  it  is  all  that  is  natural  to  man,  and  of  himself 
he  never  gets  beyond  it. 

Let  us  take  heed,  then,  that  we  be  true  Phila- 
delphians.  Tested  we  shall  be  assuredly  all  round, 
and  in  different  forms  if  the  spirit  be  not  different. 
The  Word  here  is  the  assurance,  is  it  not?  for  the 
faith  that  might  quail  and  question  as  the  results  of 
the  trial  become  apparent.  Not  now,  but  by  and 
by,  things  shall  be  manifested,  and  where  Christ's 
heart  is  shall  come  out  openly. 

Meanwhile  there  is  another  promise:  "Because 
thou  hast  kept  the  word  of  My  patience,  I  also  will 
keep  thee  out  of  the  hour  of  temptation  which  shall 
come  upon  all  the  world,  to  try  them  that  dwell 
upon  the  earth." 

Here  is  still  the  keeping  of  Christ's  word :  all 
blessing  lies  in  the  track  of  obedience;  but  it  is 
now  a  peculiar  character  of  that  Word,  and  as 
manifesting  a  character  of  Christ  Himself, — His 
patience,  or  endurance.  It  was  of  course  a  character 
of  His  on  earth ;  it  is  also  a  character  that  He  is 
manifesting  where  He  sits  now,  upon  the  throne  of 
heaven.  He  has  but  to  ask,  and  the  rod  of  iron 
shall  be  His  to  dash  to  pieces  all  opposition,  like  a 
potter's  vessel.  Yet  He  waits;  not  unobservant  of 
the  trials  of  His  saints,  not  surely  as  unsympathetic 
with  them.  But  He  waits,  that  God's  purpose  may 
be  fully  wrought  and  the  discipline  of  His  people 
fully  accomplished.  It  seems  to  me  another  mark 
of  Philadelphia  herself  being  tested  by  that  of  which 
the  previous  verse  has  spoken.  1  hey  have  needed 
patience:  they  have  learnt  it  in  the  apprehension 
of  that  patience  of  His  who  Himself  exercises  it, 
with  power  in  His  hands  which  could  change  the 


206  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

face  of  things  as  in  a  moment.  They  have  kept  that 
word  of  Kis  patience, — feeling  the  trial,  but  learn- 
ing the  consolation.  Then,  when  the  hour  of  trial 
for  the  dwellers  upon  earth  shall  come,  they  shall 
be  out  of  it!  Suited  all  this  is,  surely.  And  that 
word  even,  "  dwellers  upon  earth,"  suits  exactly  the 
Judaized  synagogue  of  Satan  of  which  the  Lord 
has  spoken.  For  the  expression  has  a  moral  force, 
like  that  where  Pergamos  is  described  as  ''dwelling 
where  Satan's  throne  is."  The  hour  is  the  hour  of 
terrible  tribulation,  which,  involving  Israel  first 
(Matt.  xxiv.  2i),  will  extend  also  to  the  Gentiles 
(Rev.  vii.  14,  R.  V.),  and  reap  with  its  scythe  of 
destruction  the  tarefield  of  Christendom;  God's 
wheat  having  been  removed  from  it. 

Into  this  time  of  judgment  no  saint,  indeed,  of  the 
present  time  can  come.  And  this  has  been  with 
some  an  objection  to  such  an  interpretation  of  the 
words  before  us.  But  it  would  be  only  be  that,  if 
they  were  to  be  confined  to  Philadelphia,  which  is 
not  the  case.  The  promise  to  Smyrna  is  equally 
such  to  every  child  of  God  that  ever  was.  Will 
any  of  these  be  hurt  of  the  second  death?  Assur- 
edly no ;  and  yet  not  the  less  suited  to  the  sufferers 
in  Smyrna  was  that  word  of  comfort.  So  here: 
doubtless  God's  people  have  all  been  in  various 
ways  made  to  apprehend  the  word  of  Christ's 
patience,  and  will  be  kept  out  of  the  hour  of  trial 
for  apostate  Christendom. 

But  the  word  is  suited  especially  here,  because 
that  which  separates  the  saints  from  it,  and  from 
the  possibility  of  sharing  its  judgments,  is  at  hand. 
More  decisively  now  He  announces,  *'  I  come 
quickly''  ,The  day  of  grace  is  running  out  with  the 
day  of  patience.     Soon  it  shall  be  Christ's  presence 


PHILADELPHIA.  20/ 

and  glory.  The  centuries  of  delay  have  come  to 
years,  the  years  are  soon  to  be  months,  the  months 
days,  the  days  moments.  "  I  come  quickl}^ : "  this 
is  to  be  shown  in  its  power  for  the  soul  by  its  keep- 
ing the  exhortation,  ''Hold  that  fast  which  thou  hast, 
that  no  man  take  thy  crown." 

But  all  shows  it  to  be  a  time  of  drift, — a  time  of 
declensions  as  well  as  revivals:  overcomer  is  he 
only  who  holds  fast.  The  Spirit  of  God  moving, 
the  Word  manifesting  its  power,  conscience  re- 
sponding; yet  every  where  the  ebb  after  the  flow, 
the  trial  which  sifts,  separates,  individuaHzes.  By 
and  by  comes  the  terrible  back-?iovi  of  Laodicea. 
Think  not  Philadelphia  is  a  haven  of  refuge  where 
we  may  lie  at  anchor  and  never  feel  it.  Not  so, — 
oh,  not  so :  this  is  the  fatal  delusion  of  Laodicea 
itself:  "  Hold  that  fast  which  thou  hast ! "  The  tug, 
if  it  has  not  come,  is  coming :   hold  thou  fast ! 

But  to  what? — hold  what  fast?  The  word,  and! 
the  name,  and  the  patience  of  Christ.  Not  the  word 
of  even  the  leaders  of  God's  raising  up.  The  truth 
must  ever  commend  the  man,  never  the  man  the 
truth.  One  great  danger  is,  lest,  having  begun  with  i 
the  former  principle,  we  slip  into  the  latter.  Even  \ 
the  truth  they  teach  is  not  truth  received  till  it  has 
been  gotten  at  the  Master's  feet  and  in  communion 
with  Himself, — till  you  can  hold  it,  not  with  the 
eyes  shut,  but  with  eyes  open, — till  you  can  main- 
tain it  for  truth  against  the  very  instrument  used 
of  God  to  give  it  you,  if  need  be.  "  If  WE,  or  an 
angel  from  heaven,  preach  any  other  gospel  unto 
you  than  that  ye  have  received,  let  him  be  accursed." 

Then,  HOLD  FAST!  When  it  is  no  longer  a  ques- 
tion if  it  be  the  truth,  but  only  of  its  consequences. 
Hold  fast:  though  those  who  have  held  it  with  you, 


2o8  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

or  before  you,  give  it  up ;  though  it  separate  you 
from  all  else  whomsoever ;  though  it  be  worse  dis- 
honored by  the  evil  of  those  who  profess  it;  though 
it  seem  utterly  useless  to  hope  of  any  good  from  it : 
in  the  face  of  the  world,  in  the  face  of  the  devil,  in 
the  face  of  the  saints, — "  hold  fast  that  which  thou 
hast,  that  no  man  take  thy  crown ! " 

For  many  a  crown  has  been  lost,  and  many  a 
crown  will  be  lost,  if  the  Lord  should  tarry.  Yet 
he  who  will  hold  fast  shall  find  Christ's  arms  under- 
neath him,  Christ's  hands  upon  his  hands.  He 
shall  not  only  keep,  he  shall  be  kept ;  in  the  might 
of  Christ's  victory  he  shall  stand,  and  the  crown 
given  he  shall  cast  before  the  Giver  of  it  as  a  trophy 
of  His  own  conquest,  and  the  fruit  of  His  grace. 

"  Him  that  overcometh  will  I  make  a  pillar  in  the 
temple  of  My  God ;  and  he  shall  go  no  more  out. 
And  I  will  write  upon  him  the  name  of  My  God, 
and  the  name  of  the  city  of  My  God,  which  is  New 
Jerusalem,  which  cometh  down  out  of  heaven  from 
My  God,  and  I  will  write  upon  him  My  new  name." 

A  fixed  eternal  place  in  the  sanctuary  of  God ; 
identification  with  the  display  of  God  as  revealed 
in  Christ  forever;  identification  with  the  abiding- 
place  of  His  affections,  in  which  heaven  and  earth 
shall  meet  at  last  in  an  eternal  embrace  of  love; 
identification  with  the  manifestation  of  Christ  in 
His  new  eternal  relationship  to  this  whole  scene : — 
this  is  what  seems  to  be  expressed  in  the  promise 
here.  But  who  shall  give  it  proper  utterance? 
What  an  end  for  the  weak  one  who  under  trial  still 
holds  fast  to  Christ  and  His  word !  How  blessed 
the  stability  of  this  scene  by  which  He  would 
establish  our  hearts  amid  the  perpetual  flux  by 
which  we  are  surrounded.     How  sweet  the  identi- 


LAODICEA.  209 

fication  with  Himself  of  the  feeble  one  who  has  but 
owned  on  earth  the  authority  of  Him  whom  heaven 
and  earth  will  own,  in  joy  in  but  a  moment!  It  is 
a  text  to  be  expounded  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  the 
heart  of  the  overcomer,  rather  than  to  be  spread 
but  upon  the  page  here.  It  is  a  sanctuary  word, 
and  the  ear  receives  but  a  little  thereof. 


Laodicea :     What   Brifigs   the    Time  of  Christ's 
Patience  to  an  End. 

(Rev.  iii.  14-22.) 

We  come  now  to  the  solemn  close  of  these  ad- 
dresses, the  Lord's  last  word  to  the  churches; 
and  it  is  very  striking  that  we  come  to  that 
close  here,  just  after  that  epistle  to  Philadelphia,  in 
which  we  have  seen  recognized  a  certain  real  re- 
turn of  heart  to  Christ,  and  a  true  revival  by  His 
Word  and  Spirit.  Now,  there  are,  on  the  contrary, 
prostration  and  collapse:  and  the  most  serious 
thing  is  that  these  are  the  infallible  signs  of  the 
failure  on  the  part  of  Philadelphia  itself.  Laodicea 
springs  out  of  Philadelphia.  The  blessing  there 
leads  to  the  judgment  here. 

In  the  states  of  the  professing  church  which  these 
addresses  have  already  pictured,  there  is  not  only 
historical  succession,  but  development.  Even  Prot- 
estantism sprang  out  of  the  bosom  of  Romanism, 
as  Philadelphia  out  of  Protestantism.  In  neither 
case  is  the  one  absorbed  into  the  other,  however. 
Romanism  continues,  outside  the  Reformation. 
The  signs  of  a  remnant  are  unmistakable  in  Phila- 
delphia. Moreover,  "overcomers"  are  implied  in 
each  case  until  the  coming  of  the  Lord.  In  Thya- 
tira,  thus,  they  are  exhorted  to  "hold  fast  till  I 


210  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

come;  and  he  that  overcometh,  and  keepeth  My 
works  unto  the  end,  to  him  will  1  give  power  over 
the  nations."  In  Sardis,  *'  If  therefore  thou  shalt 
not  watch,  I  will  come  upon  thee  as  a  thief."  In 
Philadelphia,  '*  I  come  quickly."  In  this  way, 
Protestantism,  springing  out  of  Romanism,  runs 
henceforth  side  by  side  with  it  to  the  end.  Phila- 
delphia springs  out  of  Protestantism,  and  similarly 
accompanies  it.  And  so  Laodicea,  we  may  con- 
clude, springs  out  of  Philadelphia,  and  runs  its 
course  parallel  with  the  rest. 

But  there  is  more  positive  proof.  For  if  in  Sar- 
dis there  has  been  the  absolute  coldness  of  death, 
in  Philadelphia,  the  glow  of  revival,  in  Laodicea 
there  is  the  fatal  lukewarmness  which  shows  at 
once  the  effect  (and  the  limited  effect)  of  one  upon 
another.  And  this  is  why  the  cold  of  Sardis  itself 
is  preferable  to  the  lukewarmness  of  Laodicea.  All 
God's  grace  has  been  spent  in  vain  upon  it. 

Laodicea  gives  us,  then,  the  failure  of  Protestant- 
ism, as  Thyatira  of  that  which  assumes  to  be  the 
Catholic  Church.  It  is  the  complete  failure  of 
Christendom  the  second  time;  and  now,  in  the  full 
light  of  an  open  Bible,  and  after  repeated  interven- 
tion of  God  in  wide-spread  and  protracted  revival 
and  blessing.  The  full  end  of  patience  has  at  last 
been  reached,  and  the  time  to  display  also  the  re- 
sults of  the  divine  work,  which  no  failure  or  oppo- 
sition of  man  can  in  any  wise  hinder. 

But  before  entering  upon  the  details  of  this 
address  to  Laodicea,  let  us  inquire  as  to  the  name 
itself.  It  was  given  to  the  city  by  Antiochus  II., 
after  his  enlargement  of  it,  in  honor  of  his  wife 
Laodice,  and  is  a  compound  of  two  words — laos^ 
"people,"  and  dike.      '' Dike'' \s  given  by  the  die- 


LAODICEA.  211 

tionaries  as  having  the  three  meanings,  closely  con- 
nected together,  (i)  of  ''manner,  custom,  usage;" 
(2)  of  "  right ;  "  (3)  of  "  requirement,"  and  so  "  venge- 
ance," punitive  justice.  We  have  thus  three  possi- 
ble meanings:  ''custom  of  the  people,"  "people's 
right,"  "judgment  of  the  people."  And  these  three 
things  have  equally  plain  and  solemn  connection 
with  one  another. 

For  it  is  indeed  the  "people's  custom"  that  is 
here  unfolded.  If  under  popery  it  is  rather  the 
usurpation  of  the  leaders  that  is  the  question,  in 
Protestantism,  with  its  open  Bible,  the  people  are 
tested  as  never  before.  The  earliest  ages  of 
Christianity,  dependent  upon  the  toilsome  labor  of 
copyists  for  the  multiplication  of  copies  of  the 
Word,  had  in  no  wise  the  privileges  of  which  the 
Reformation,  with  its  providentially  furnished 
printing-press,  at  once  came  into  possession. 
Hence,  also,  responsibilities  as  great,  and  brought 
home  to  the  door  of  every  man.  People  may  still 
be  ignorant,  but  it  is  now  assuredly  a  willing  igno- 
rance. They  may  still  seek  to  cast  responsibility 
upon  others,  and  bhndly  follow  still  leaders  as  blind, 
but  this  has  necessarily  now  another  character 
from  what  it  had  before.  Hence  it  is  the  people 
who  are  now  being  manifested, — their  way  which 
is  being  made  apparent;  and  judgment,  however 
delayed,  must  at  last  follow  with  proportional 
energy.  Thus  two  significant  applications  of  this 
word  "Laodicea"  are  made  evident. 

But  again,  and  connected  with  this,  there  is  a 
feature  of  the  last  days  which  Scripture  puts 
prominently  forward, — the  self-assertion  which  in- 
deed on  man's  part  has  never  been  lacking,  but 
which  now  pervades,  in  a  manner  not  before  seen, 


212  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

the  masses  of  the  population.  That  Protestantism 
has  favored  this,  is  one  of  the  reproaches  of  the 
Romanists.  And  it  is  undeniably  true  that  in  one 
sense  it  has  favored  it.  The  breaking  of  ecclesias- 
tical yokes, — the  yoke  of  a  tyranny  more  prostrat- 
ing than  any  other, — with  that  awaking  of  the  mind 
of  man  which  is  ever  found  where  the  light  of  the 
Word  of  God  has  penetrated, — has  produced  a 
state  of  things  in  which,  if  Christ's  yoke  be  not 
accepted,  man's  will  will  assuredly  assert  itself  as 
never  before.  And  so  it  has  proved ;  and  so  Scrip- 
ture long  before  declared  that  it  would  be.  '*  Lao- 
dicea,"  in  its  third  sense,  as  ''people's  right,''  has 
become,  morally,  spiritually,  and  politically  also, 
the  watchword  of  the  times.  On  the  one  hand, 
there  is  an  immense  march  of  civilization,  a  pre- 
dicted running  to  and  fro,  and  increase  of  knowl- 
edge; on  the  other,  an  uprise  of  what  threatens 
civilization,  and  is  ominous  of  an  approaching  end 
of  the  whole  state. 

''People's  right!"  The  rights  of  the  masses! 
and  which  the  masses  themselves  mean  to  define 
and  pronounce  upon.  Here  is  that  condition  of 
things  which  Hobbes,  more  than  two  centuries 
since,  declared  to  be  the  natural  condition,  and 
which  he  rightly  said  meant  universal  war.  For 
who  is  to  judge  as  to  these  conflicting  interests? 
and  who  is  to  enforce  the  judgment?  Class  will 
disagree  with  class, — nay,  individual  with  individ- 
ual: every  man's  hand  will  be  against  his  brother; 
might  will  make  right  upon  a  scale  the  world  has 
never  seen,  until  out  of  this  surging  sea  a  power 
rises  strong  enough  to  command  once  more.  Then 
they  that  will  be  lords  shall  have  a  lord,  and  they 
that  will  not  receive  Christ  shall  have  Antichrist. 


LAODICEA.  213 

So  the  Word  of  God  declares.  For  this  ominous 
watchword,  ''people's  rights,"  in  the  end  of  centu- 
ries of  divine  long-suffering,  is  a  terrible  claim  in 
the  ears  of  a  God,  strong,  if  yet  so  patient,  and 
who  is  provoked  every  day. 

It  is  a  claim  which  denies  the  fall,  and  the  sen- 
tence confirmed  by  countless  individual  sins, — the 
claim  of  a  world  which  has  refused  and  crucified 
the  Son  of  God  come  into  it  in  simplest  loving 
mercy; — which  would  take  the  earth  out  of  its 
Maker's  hand,  and  enrich  itself  at  His  cost  and  to 
His  dishonor.  What  wonder  if  they  should  quarrel 
over  the  spoils  of  victory,  and  the  nations  be  quak- 
ing, as  they  are,  over  the  success  of  their  policy  of 
liberty  and  equal  rights?  When  democracy  meant 
only  the  curbing  of  the  despotic  power  of  rulers, 
when  it  meant  still  respect  for  wealth  and  rank, 
and  law  and  order,  they  could  rejoice  over  it,  and 
cite  it  as  the  evidence  of  morally  improved  times. 
Arbitrary  power  only  was  to  be  restrained:  there 
was  to  be  equal  justice,  and  quietness  and  assur- 
ance as  the  effect  of  righteousness.  Certainly  the 
abuse  of  power  had  been  great  enough  to  provoke 
reprisals,  and  make  the  downfall  of  absolutism  an 
apparent  real  advancement.  But  man  was  and  is 
the  same ;  and  the  mistake  has  been  ever  to  sup- 
pose that  alterations  of  this  kind  could  really  heal 
or  touch  a  moral  state  which  was  the  essence  of 
the  trouble.  The  leprosy,  skinned  over  here,  would 
only  break  out  elsewhere,  for  it  was  deeper  than 
the  surface, — in  the  blood,  in  the  vitals  of  humanity 
itself. 

Who  can  say  where  the  movement  for  men's 
rights  shall  stop?  If  they  be  rights,  must  it  not  be 
unrighteousness  to  stop  any  where?     Who  can  say 


214  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

to  the  restless,  resistless,  surge  of  the  sea,  Come  no 
further!  here  shall  thy  waves  be  stayed?  There 
were,  there  are,  most  real  and  gigantic  evils, — tyr- 
annies which  no  form  of  government  yet  devised 
has  taken  into  account,  or  probably  can  take.  What 
does  every  man's  right  to  his  own  imply?  What 
is  "his  own"?  How  can  you  take  from  wealth  the 
power  which  wealth  implies?  or  allow  power  with- 
out allowing  the  abuse  of  it?  Settle  all  inequalities, 
make  one  general  plain  of  all  the  mountains  upon 
earth,  you  have  stopped  the  fertilizing  rivers  also 
which  the  mountains  roll  over  the  plains  and  in  the 
valleys  which  you  deprecate,  but  for  whose  benefit, 
spite  of  all,  they  rise. 

Rights!  what  scale  have  you  of  rights?  Listen 
to  the  voices  from  a  lower  level  than  you  desire, 
which  will  interpret  for  you,  and  enforce  their  in- 
terpretation,— socialism,  communism,  nihilism, — 
dread  names,  not  merely  for  the  monarch,  but  for 
the  man  of  property  also,  and  for  the  law-abiding 
citizen.  People's  rights  are  already  in  terrible  con- 
flict with  one  another,  and  in  their  name  how  many 
wrongs  may  be  inflicted  yet!  This  Laodicea  of 
politics  is  destined  to  be  the  rock  upon  which  all 
governmental  reform  will  end  in  anarchy  and  chaos. 
He  who  can  read  the  great  typical  book  of  nature 
may  read  the  scriptural  presages  upon  a  scroll 
written  with  lamentation  and  mourning  and  woe: 
"And  there  shall  be  signs  in  the  sun,  and  in  the 
moon,  and  in  the  stars ;  and  upon  the  earth,  distress 
of  nations,  with  perplexity;  the  sea  and  the  waves 
roaring ;  men's  hearts  failing  them  for  fear,  and  for 
looking  after  those  things  which  are  coming  upon 
the  earth :  for  the  powers  of  the  heavens  shall  be 
shaken"  (Luke  xxi.  25,  26). 


LAODICEA.  215 

But  the  removal  of  the  things  that  can  be  shaken 
will  only  make  way  for  a  kingdom,  not  such  as  they 
anticipate,  absolute  beyond  all  the  tyrannies  of  old, 
a  "rod  of  iron,"  which  shall  break  as  potsherds  all 
the  opposing  powers  of  man,  yet  be  the  shepherd's 
rod  under  which  the  poor  of  the  flock  will  lie  down 
at  last  in  peace,  and  none  shall  make  them  afraid. 
How  refreshing  to  turn  from  what  has  been  engag- 
ing us  to  contemplate  such  a  rule  as  the  world  has 
never  seen! 

"  He  shall  judge  Thy  people  with  righteousness, 
and  Thy  poor  with  judgment.  The  mountains 
shall  bring  peace  to  the  people,  and  the  little  hills 
by  righteousness.  He  shall  judge  the  poor  of  the 
people;  He  shall  save  the  children  of  the  needy, 
and  break  in  pieces  the  oppressor.  ...  In  His 
days  shall  the  righteous  flourish,  and  abundance  of 
peace  as  long  as  the  moon  endureth.  He  shall  have 
dominion  also  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  the  river 
to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  All  kings  shall  fall  down 
before  Him ;  all  nations  shall  serve  Him "  (Ps. 
Ixxii.  2-4,  7,8,  II). 

But,  it  may  be  objected,  this  is  altogether  politi- 
cal: what  has  this  to  do  with  Laodicea  as  a  condi- 
tion of  the  churches  ?  It  would  have  little  indeed 
to  do  with  it  if  only  the  Church  realized  its  separa- 
tion from  the  world.  As  it  is,  it  has  very  much 
indeed  to  do, — so  much,  that  in  Christendom  a 
poUtical  Laodicea  involves,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
an  ecclesiastical  one.  The  world  and  the  Church  are 
so  allied,  so  mingled,  so  permeate  each  other  now, 
that  ideally  alone  will  they  endure  separation.  And 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  "people's  rights"  has  become 
scarcely  less  an  ecclesiastical  than  a  political  watch- 
word.    In  this  sphere,  the  masses  are  rising  up 


2l6 

against  the  long  rule  of  their  spiritual  leaders,  and 
claiming  their  rights  at  their  hands.  The  oldest 
and  best  established  oligarchies  are  accepting  pop- 
ular methods  and  forms  upon  all  sides.  The  few 
must  yield  to  the  many.  They  choose  their  pastors 
as  they  choose  their  lawyer  or  their  doctor,  and 
insist  upon  having  what  they  pay  for.  What  can  be 
a  better  *' right"  than  that?  Thus,  however,  it  is 
clear,  they  '^heap  to  themselves  teachers,"  if  you 
must  not  assume  that  they  have  '*  itching  ears." 
But,  in  truth,  the  ear  it  is  that  is  largely  consulted ; 
and  necessarily  so,  where  the  very  idea  at  the 
bottom  is  a  commercial  equivalent,  and  popular 
majorities  rule,  as  quantity  instead  of  quality. 
Even  in  the  Church,  and  at  its  best,  the  most 
spiritual  have  never  been  the  larger  number. 
How  much  less  in  churches  demoralized  by  het- 
erogeneous mixture,  competing  for  power  and 
popularity ! 

Think  of  it,  however,  as  we  may,  there  is  no 
doubt  that,  in  church  as  well  as  state,  ''liberal" 
thoughts  are  prevailing, — democratic  forms  are 
succeeding  to  the  old  aristocratic  ones.  And  here 
certainly  Philadelphia  has  prepared  the  way  for 
Laodicea.  Distinctive  priesthood,  and  the  vested 
rights  of  clerisy,  have  in  measure  yielded  to  the 
free  evangelization  going  on,  and  the  equality  of 
Christian  brotherhood,  and  it  is  impossible  not  to 
rejoice  that  this  should  be  so.  But  yet  who  can 
doubt  that  the  overthrow,  such  as  it  is,  of  these 
ecclesiastical  superstitions  has  favored  claims  that 
are  no  more  of  God  than  they?  The  laity  may 
dispossess  the  clergy,  and  dominion  pass  from  one 
class  to  another  without  reverting  to  the  hands  to 
which  it  really  belongs.     Christ  is  alone  Master, 


LAODICEA.  217 

not  clergy,  and  not  people.  Ministers  are  indeed 
servants,  as  the  very  name  imports,  yet  not  serv- 
ants of  ine7i, — a  thing  against  which  the  apostle  so 
vehemently  contends.  ''  Ye  are  bought  with  a 
price;  be  ye  not  the  servants  of  men:  if  I  yet 
pleased  men,  I  should  not  be  the  servant  of  Christ." 
Thus  these  two  things  are  in  essential  opposition. 
Christ  needs  to  be  in  His  true  place, — a  thing  which 
so  marks  Philadelphia,  but  from  which  Laodicea 
excludes  Him  as  does  Thyatira.  Bring  Christ  in, 
and  the  ministers  are  His  servants.  Bring  Christ 
in,  and  the  people  are  His  people.  His  service,  on 
the  part  of  all  alike,  is  true  and  equal  freedom  at 
once  to  all. 

But  the  spiritual  phase  of  Laodicea  we  are  now 
to  follow.  May  we  do  it  honestly,  with  hearts  open 
to  receive  rebuke;  remembering  that,  not  ecclesi- 
astical place,  but  spirit,  is  in  question.  It  is  an  old 
deceit  to  pride  one's  self  on  possession  of  the  truth, 
while  yet  the  sanctification  by  the  truth  is  unknown. 
And  this  indeed  makes  a  large  part  of  the  character 
of  what  is  before  us. 

The  Lord  presents  Himself  here  as  the  One 
who  amid  the  general  failure  is  "the  Amen,  the 
faithful  and  true  witness:"  He  has  not  failed. 

He  is  the  Amen :  "  For  the  Son  of  God,  Jesus 
Christ,"  says  the  apostle,  "  who  was  preached 
among  you  by  us,  even  by  me  and  Sylvanus  and 
Timotheus,  was  not  yea  and  nay,  but  in  Him  was 
yea.  For  all  the  promises  of  God  in  Him  are  yea, 
and  in  Him  Amen,  to  the  glory  of  God  by  us" 
(2  Cor.  i.  19,  20).  No  uncertainty,  no  doubtfulness, 
is  there  in  Christ  or  His  Word.  He  is  always 
simple,  positive  "  Yea,"  speaking  one  thing,  abso- 
lutely to  be  depended  on.     If  we  have  but  a  word 


2l8  PRESENT   THINGS,  ETC. 

of  His,  it  is  a  blessed  reality,  given  us  in  God's 
infinite  love,  which  we  may  rest  our  souls  on  for 
eternity,  and  which  can  never  fail  us.  This  is  a 
resource  which  the  denial  of  verbal  inspiration 
would  completely  take  from  us;  but  His  own  as- 
surance is,  ''Scripture  cannot  be  broken"  (Jno.  x. 
35).  If  it  be  a  question,  as  in  the  case  which  the 
Lord  is  speaking  of  here,  of  but  a  title  applied  by 
an  inspired  writer  to  a  certain  class  of  men,  there 
must  be  perfect  suitability  and  divine  wisdom  in 
the  application.  ''  If  he  called  them  gods  to  whom 
the  word  of  God  came,  and  Scripture  cannot  be 
broken''  How  precious  is  this  assurance!  Coming 
where  it  does,  is  it  not  itself  a  significant  warning, 
this  claim  of  His  as  ''the  Amen,  the  faithful  and 
true  Witness"  to  such  a  generation  as  the  present? 
Does  He  not  in  it  challenge  the  unbelief  so  com- 
mon all  around  us? 

But  this  presentation  of  Himself  as  a  true  and 
faithful  Witness  is  in  contrast  with  the  failure  of 
the  Church,  which  has  been  any  thing  but  that. 
He  is  just  about  to  remove  the  candlestick  because 
it  has  been  unfaithful  and  untrue.  But  His  people's 
shortcoming  is  not  His  own.  Infidelity  may  seek 
to  justify  itself  by  the  failure  of  Christians;  and 
even  Christians,  alas!  are  almost  capable  of  taking 
it  as  in  some  sort  a  reflection  upon  Himself.  But 
"  if  we  are  unfaithful,  he  abideth  faithful,"  as  the 
Rev.  Ver.  rightly  puts  it  now  (2  Tim.  ii.  13).  And 
He  is  just  ready  to  rise  up  and  bring  in  that  day  in 
which,  with  the  revelation  of  all  things,  this  faith- 
fulness of  His  will  appear  abundantly.  In  the 
general  wreck,  this  only  now  remains  to  Him. 

He  proclaims  Himself  with  this:  "The  Begin- 
ning of  the  creation  of  God."     The  old  creation, 


LAODICEA.  219 

Spoiled  by  sin,  is  passing  away  ;  its  history  is  nearly 
completed ;  its  judgment  has  been  long  since  pro- 
nounced in  the  cross,  and  in  Christ  risen  from  the 
dead  is  begun  all  that  God  owns  as  really  His, — 
first  and  always  in  His  thought,  and  for  which  the 
ruin  of  the  old  only  prepared  the  way. 

When  the  Psalmist  lifted  up  his  eyes  to  heaven, 
and  in  view  of  God's  glorious  handiwork  there 
exclaims,  ''What  is  man,  that  Thou  art  mindful  of 
him?  or  the  son  of  man,  that  Thou  visitest  him?" 
the  answer  is,  "Thou  hast  made  him  a  little  lower 
than  the  angels;  thou  hast  crowned  him  with  glory 
and  honor;  Thou  madest  him  to  have  dominion 
over  the  works  of  Thy  hands ;  Thou  hast  put  all 
things  in  subjection  under  his  feet."  But  of  whom 
is  he  speaking?  As  the  apostle  in  the  second  of 
Hebrews  assures  us,  not  of  the  first,  but  of  the 
Second  Man.  ''  We  see  Jesus,  who  was  made  a 
little  lower  than  the  angels  for  the  suffering  of 
death,  crowned  with  glory  and  honor."  It  is  Christ 
in  whom  the  true  ideal  of  man  is  realized,  and  of 
whom  the  first  Adam  was  but  the  fleeting  image, 
and  in  many  respects  the  contrast. 

Now  in  Laodicea,  with  Christ  outside,  it  .cannot 
be  the  new  creation  in  which  their  riches  are.  Yet 
they  say  they  are  rich,  and  increased  with  goods, 
and  have  need  of  nothing.  Thus  there  are  things 
which  are  gain  to  them  which  they  have  not 
counted  loss  for  Christ. 

It  is  an  exceedingly  solemn  thing  that  the  very 
truth  which  with  all  its  grace  judges  and  sets  aside 
man  most  thoroughly  is  the  very  truth  which  he  is 
prone  to  take  and  use  for  the  purpose  of  self-gratu- 
lation.  Take  the  law:  God  gave  it  "that  every 
mouth  might  be  stopped,  and  all  the  world  become 


220  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

guilty  before  God"  (Rom.  iii.  19).  But  how  has 
man  used,  and  how  is  he  using  it?  Always  to 
establish  his  own  righteousness  by  it.  The  large 
part  of  the  Christian  world,  so  called,  to-day  is 
taking  the  ''strength  of  sin"  (i  Cor.  xv.  56)  to  ac- 
complish holiness  by  it,  and  are  taking  salvation 
itself  to  be,  **not"  indeed  ''by  the  merit  of  works, 
but"  yet  "by  works  as  a  condition." 

So,  exactly,  with  Christianity :  God  has  brought 
in  the  truth  of  new  creation,  the  world  before  Him 
lying  under  death  and  judgment.  Yet  man  takes 
the  blessed  truth  of  Christianity  to  patch  up  the 
world  with  it,  and  make  it  better  if  he  can.  And 
in  the  very  presence  of  the  ruin  and  break-up  of 
things  on  every  side,  men  are  vaunting  the  success 
of  the  effort.  On  the  eve  of  judgment,  they  are 
fulfilling  the  Scripture-portents  of  such  a  time  by 
their  smooth  auguries  of  prosperity  and  peace. 

No  doubt  God's  Spirit  is  really  and  largely 
working;  but  His  end  and  man's  thought  are 
diverse,  in  that,  while  He  is  converting  souls  to 
"deliver  them  ont  ^/this  present  evil  world,"  man's 
thought  is  an  improved  world,  a  Christian  world: 
the  effect  of  which  is,  to  amalgamate  Christians 
and  the  world,  and  spoil  the  scriptural  character 
of  Christianity  altogether. 

But  in  these  last  days  God  has  given  many  to 
recognize  the  truth  of  the  Word  as  to  this.  He 
has  revived  the  truth  of  new  creation,  and  revealed 
to  us  the  practical  and  fruitful  consequences  which 
result  from  a  place  in  Christ,  where  He  is,  in  the 
heavens.  But  the  question  for  us  is.  What  are  we 
doing,  then,  with  the  truth  we  recognize?  Shall 
we  talk  of  being  in  Christ  a  new  creation,  old 
things  passed  away,  and  all  things  become  new, 


LAODICEA.   •  221 

and  yet  cling  to  what  has  in  it  all  the  moral 
elements  that  make  up  the  world — *'the  lust  of  the 
flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eyes,  and  the  pride  of  life"? 
Is  it  theory  with  us,  or  practical  reality,  to  have 
"  put  on  the  new  man,  who  is  renewed  in  knowledge 
after  the  image  of  Him  that  created  him :  where 
there  is  neither  Greek  nor  Jew,  circumcision  nor 
uncircumcision,  barbarian,  Scythian,  bond  nor  free ; 
but  Christ  is  ALL,  and  in  all"?  Has  the  Lord 
need  to  appeal  to  us  as  the  One  who  is  ''  the  Be- 
ginning of  the  creation  of  God"?  If  so,  is  not 
Laodiceanism  with  us  in  that  proportion? 

To  Laodicea,  as  to  the  rest.  He  says,  ''  I  know 
thy  works.''  Here  is  the  test, — the  only  true  one. 
**  I  know  thy  works,  that  thou  art  neither  cold  nor 
hot :  I  would  that  thou  wert  cold  or  hot.  So,  then, 
because  thou  art  lukewarm,  and  neither  cold  nor 
hot,  I  will  spew  thee  out  of  My  mouth."  This  is  the 
certain  and  near  end  of  professing  Christendom. 
Of  course  He  will  not  spew  His  own  beloved  peo- 
ple out  of  His  mouth.  He  must  take  these  first  of 
all  to  Himself  before  He  can  reject  the  whole  mass 
as  nauseous.  And  we  have  already  seen,  in  the 
address  to  Philadelphia,  that  the  Lord  tells  them 
He  will  keep  them  out  of  the  hour  of  temptation 
which  shall  come  upon  all  the  world  i — not  merely 
out  of  the  temptation  ;  He  might  hide  them  in  the 
desert  so,  but  out  of  the  /lour  of  it.  For  this,  He 
must  take  them  out  of  the  world  altogether.  And 
that  is  what  the  "  I  come  quickly  "  connected  with 
this  also  intimates. 

Here,  then,  we  have  the  brief,  solemn  pause 
before  the  Lord  takes  His  people  to  Himself.  He 
must  do  this  before  the  professing  body  can  be 
spewed  out  of  His  mouth.      He  cannot  so  reject 


222  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

even  the  poorest,  weakest,  most  wayward  of  His 
own.  And  it  is  important  to  insist  upon  this, 
because  there  is  abroad  a  view  according  to  which 
only  a  class  of  better  than  ordinary  Christians  will 
be  taken  up  when  the  Lord  comes,  while  the  rest 
will  be  left  upon  earth  to  go  through  the  tribulation 
which  follows  this,  when  the  earth  is  enduring  the 
vials  of  His  wrath.  They  point  to  the  promise  to 
Philadelphia  as  in  this  way  the  promise  to  a  special 
class;  and  the  ten  virgins  of  our  Lord's  parable 
they  maintain  to  be  all  Christians,  as  they  bring  for- 
ward the  fact  of  their  being  "virgins"  to  prove; — 
only  foolish  ones,  unwatchful  and  unready,  with 
indeed  the  oil  of  the  Spirit  in  their  lamps,  but  no 
extra  supply  in  their  "•  vessels."  Thus  their  lamps, 
which  had  been  burning,  cease  to  burn  at  last,  and 
the  fresh  supply  of  oil  they  get  is  obtained  too  late 
for  admission  to  the  marriage.  The  Lord  rejects 
them  only  as  the  bride :  they  lose  their  place  in  this, 
and  are  shut  out  to  be  purified  by  tribulation,  and 
made  ready  for  the  kingdom  afterward. 

But  how  many  precious  realities  must  be  denied 
in  order  to  hold  this  view !  Is  it  our  faithfulness, 
then,  that  gives  us  a  place  among  those  who  are 
admitted  to  the  dignity  of  the  bride  of  Christ?  Is 
the  Lord  when  He  comes  indeed  going  to  discrim- 
inate in  this  way  between  less  and  more  faithfulness? 
— between  ordinary  and  extraordinary  Christians? 
What  an  engine  is  this  for  turning  the  blessed  and 
purifying  hope  into  a  means  of  self-occupation  and 
despair !  If  things  are  so,  where  is  the  line  of  accept- 
ance to  be  drawn?  and  on  what  side  of  it  are  we? 
Is  my  joyful  expectation  of  this  blessed  time  to  be 
based  on  the  belief  in  my  own  superiority  to  many 
of  my  brethren?      What  comfortable  Pharisaism, 


LAODICEA.  223 

or  what  legal  distress  must  such  a  view  in- 
volve ! 

If  true,  why  should  such  a  discrimination  be 
made  between  the  living  saints  alone?  Why  should 
it  not  equally  affect  the  dead?  And  then,  is  there 
to  be  a  purgatory  to  purify  these? 

As  to  Scripture,  the  support  it  gives  to  any  such 
view  is  only  apparent,  and  results  from  an  inter- 
pretation of  single  passages,  which  is  at  issue  with 
its  whole  doctrinal  teaching.  The  coming  of  the 
Lord  to  remove  His  saints  is  not  in  Scripture  ever 
connected  even  with  our  responsibilities  and  their 
adjudication,  but  with  the  fulfillment  of  the  hope 
with  which  grace  has  inspired  us.  Our  responsi- 
bilities and  the  reward  of  our  works  are  connected 
with  that  which  is  called  the  "appearing"  or 
"manifestation"  or  "revelation  of  Christ," — His 
coming  with  His  saints,  not  for  them.  At  the  door 
of  the  Father's  house  to  which  He  welcomes  us 
when  He  comes,  no  sentry  stands,  no  challenge  is 
required.  We  go  into  it  as  purged  by  the  precious 
blood  of  Christ,  and  in  Christ.  Already  are  we 
not  only  entitled,  but  "  meet  to  be  partakers  of  the 
inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light." 

When  He  comes  to  the  world,  and  His  people 
take  their  places  with  Him  as  associated  with  Him 
in  government,  then  dignities,  honors,  rewards  of 
work,  will  find  their  place.  It  will  be  "  Have  thou 
authority  over  ten" — "be  thou  also  over  five  cities." 
But  salvation,  righteousness,  the  child's  place  with 
the  Father,  membership  of  the  body  of  Christ,  our 
relationship  to  Christ  as  His  bride, — nay,  even  our 
being  kings  and  priests  unto  His  God  and  Father, 
are  things  which,  as  they  are  not  gained,  so  they 
are  not  lost  by  any  work  of  ours  at  all.    Christ  has 


224  PRESENT   THINGS,   ETC. 

procured  them  for  us,  and  grace  bestows  them, — 
grace,  and  grace  alone. 

When,  therefore,  the  Lord  descends  from  heaven 
with  a  shout,  with  the  voice  of  the  archangel  and 
the  trump  of  God,  is  there  discrimination  among 
those  in  Christ? — of  the  dead  who  shall  be  raised? 
of  the  living  who  shall  be  changed?  Nay,  but  the 
''dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first,  then  we  which  are 
alive  and  remain  shall  be  caught  up  with  them  in 
the  clouds  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air ;  so  shall  we 
be  ever  with  the  Lord."  Blessed  words !  how  they 
pierce  and  scatter  the  chilling  fogs  of  legalism,  and 
make  the  "  blessed  hope,"  not  a  means  of  sorest 
perplexity  and  doubt,  but  hope  indeed ! 

Nor  are  the  passages  which  these  writers  build 
upon  in  contradiction  with  this  at  all.  The  promise 
to  the  overcomer  at  Philadelphia  is  one  of  a  class 
which,  as  the  eye  runs  over  them  throughout 
these  apocalyptic  addresses,  show  plainly  that  they 
apply  more  or  less  to  every  true  believer.  Take 
the  promise  to  him  at  Ephesus,  and  ask.  Will  any 
believer  not  "  eat  of  the  tree  of  life  which  is  in  the 
midst  of  the  paradise  of  God"?  Take  that  to 
Smyrna,  and  ask.  Will  any  "  be  hurt  of  the  second 
death"?  And  so  on  through  the  remainder.  .Their 
special  significance  in  relation  to  the  overcomer  in 
the  cases  there  pointed  out  is  not  in  the  least 
^v^  diminished  by  their  general  application  to  all 
,^     behevers. 

Again,  as  to  the  ten  virgins,  it  is  a  mistake  to 
suppose  that  in  that  character  (according  to  the  par- 
able^ Christians  are  represented  as  espoused  to 
Christ  at  all.  Those  who  go  forth  to  meet  the 
bridegroom  are  not  the  bride;  and  to  make  them 
this,  disjoints  the  parable.^  According  to  the  whole 


LAODICEA.  225 

tenor  of  the  prophecy  in  these  chapters,  the  Jewish 
people  and  the  earth  are  in  the  foreground,  and 
the  parable  of  the  virgins  only  parenthetically 
brings  in  the  connection  of  Christians  with  these. 
According  to  the  common  language  of  the  Old- 
Testament  prophets,  the  Lord  is  coming  to  take  a 
Jewish  bride;  and  on  His  way  to  do  this.  His  peo- 
ple of  the  present  time  are  called  up  to  meet  Him 
and  return  with  Him.  So  much  is  implied  in  the 
expression  in  the  Greek.  It  is  thus  when  He  is 
come  to  earth  that  the  foolish  virgins  are  rejected, 
and  cast  out  of  His  kingdom  altogether.  The 
parable  is  a  parable  of  the  kingdom ;  and  the  king- 
dom, in  all  the  parables,  speaks  of  earth,  not  heaven, 
and  of  the  whole  field  of  profession.  "Virgins," 
"servants,"  and  the  like  titles,  merely  intimate  re- 
sponsible profession,  not  necessarily  the  truth  of  it. 
He  was  a  servant  who  had  laid  up  his  lord's  money 
in  a  napkin,  and  never  really  served  at  all.  He 
was  a  servant,  but  a  wicked  one ;  and  so  with  these 
"foolish"  virgins. 

Oil  they  are  explicitly  stated  not  to  have ;  and 
though  their  lamps  are  only  represented  as  ''going 
out,"  when  the  cry  is  raised,  "  Behold,  the  bride- 
groom ! "  this  is  the  constant  style  of  these  parables, 
in  which  the  inner  thoughts  of  the  soul  are  mir- 
rored and  exposed,  not  dogmatic  truth  taught.  In 
their  own  imaginations,  the  Pharisees  were  the 
"ninety  and  nine  just  persons  who  need  no  repent- 
ance; "not  in  dogmatic  reality.  Moreover,  the 
Lord's  words  of  rejection,  "  I  know  you  not,"  are 
decisive  from  One  who  "- knoweth  them  that  are 
His,"  and  can  never  disown  them. 

No,  He  cannot  spew  His  own  out  of  His  mouth, 
but  must  have  them  with  Him  out  of  the  world 


226  PRKSENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

before  the  first  drops  of  the  storm  of  judgment  fall. 
Even  then  it  will  be  made  manifest,  before  He  re- 
jects the  public  professing  body,  that  they  have  on 
their  part  rejected  Him.  Christendom  ends  in 
open  apostasy.  The  day  of  the  Lord  will  not  come 
except  there  come  a  falling  away  first,  and  the  man 
of  sin  be  revealed.  Poper}^,  evil  as  it  is,  and  anti- 
christian  too,  is  not  the  last  evil,  nor  the  worst.  It 
is  the  sinful  woman,  not  the  man.  It  has  been  re- 
vealed over  three  hundred  years  as  this,  and  the 
day  of  the  Lord  is  not  yet  come.  The  Antichrist 
will  deny  the  Father  and  the  Son  alike. 

How  solemn  to  contemplate  the  last  end  of 
what  began  so  differently !  How  above  all  solemn 
to  consider  that  both  at  the  beginning  and  the  end, 
the  sin  and  failure  of  the  true  people  of  God  it  is 
which  initiates  and  completes  the  ruin!  Who  can 
doubt  that  Christians  themselves  are  largely  taking 
up  this  self-complacent  assumption — ''rich,  and  in- 
creased with  goods,  and  in  need  of  nothing"? 

Even  by  some  who  deem  the  time  of  harvest 
:  drawing  near  we  are  invited  to  consider  the  fact 
that  if  the  tares  are  ripening  for  it,  yet  the  wheat 
must  be  ripening  too ;  and  that  this  means  that  the 
present  generation  of  Christians  is  spiritually  in 
advance  of  every  other!  We  are  bidden  observe 
the  great  awakening  of  the  missionary  spirit,  the 
restoration  of  gifts  of  healing  to  the  Church,  and 
so  on.  Surely  we  are  rich,  and  increased  with 
goods,  if  this  be  our  condition!  And  is  there  not 
a  creed,  connected  very  much  with  the  latter  claim, 
and  largely  professed  among  those  who  naturally 
take  their  place  as  the  very  leaders  of  the  Christi- 
anity of  the  day,  which  comes  very  near  indeed  to 
Laodicean  profession?     How  could  the  claim  to  be 


LAODICEA.  22/ 

rich  and  increased  with  goods  be  more  really  made 
than  by  those  who  profess  what  they  will  not 
indeed  call  ''sinless"  and  yet  do  assert  for  it  what 
ought  to  be  a  still  loftier  title, — that  of  "  Christian 
perfection." 

Christian  perfection  is  of  course  the  very  summit 
— the  ne  plus  ultra  of  Christianity.  Higher  than 
this  no  one  can  hope  to  go :  with  such  a  condition 
God  Himself  must  be  completely  satisfied.  As 
Christ  is,  (so  they  apply  it,)  so  are  they  in  this 
world.  Perfect  knowledge,  perfect  wisdom,  they 
do  not  suppose  they  have,  but  ''perfect  love''  is  the 
term  which  exactly  fits  and  describes  their  condi- 
tion. They  perfectly  obey  the  divine  law,  and  for 
a  large  class  there  remains  in  them  no  corruption 
of  nature  even,  although  many  would  not  go  as  far 
as  that.  There  are  many  grades  of  the  doctrine, 
and  correspondingly  it  affects  very  distinct  classes 
of  Christian  profession.  Its  wide  acceptance  is  a 
very  noticeable  thing  in  these  days,  an  unmistaka- 
ble sign  of  the  times. 

For  the  term  "  perfection,"  and  that  as  applied 
to  Christians,  there  is  scripture,  of  course.  The 
devil,  in  deceiving  the  people  of  God,  will  always, 
if  he  can,  use  scripture  to  accomplish  his  object. 
But  the  term  there  does  not  mean  what  in  the  dia- 
lect of  the  "higher  life"  it  is  made  to  mean.  Take 
one  of  the  strongest  texts  used,  "  Be  ye  perfect, 
even  as  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven  is  perfect" 
— the  context  shows  decisively  what  is  meant.  We' 
speak  of  a  thing  as  perfect  which  has  all  its  parts, 
without  at  all  regarding  the  finish  of  its  parts.  So 
the  Lord  tells  us  that  as  children  we  must  resemble 
our  Father,  and  for  this  exhibit  all  the  features  of 
our  Father's  character.     We  must  not  only  love 


228  PRESENT  THINGS,  ETC. 

those  who  love  us,  but  as  He  makes  His  sun  to  rise 
on  the  evil  and  on  the  good,  and  sends  His  rain  on 
the  just  and  on  the  unjust,  we  must  exhibit  this 
feature  of  His  character  also :  *'  Love  your  enemies, 
and  pray  for  them  which  despitefuUy  use  you  and 
persecute  you,  that  ye  may  be  the  children  of  your 
Father  which  is  in  heaven."  (Matt.  v.  44,  45.) 

"  Perfection  "  is  also  used  for  the  mature  Chris- 
tian condition,  as  a  glance  at  the  margin  of  Heb. 
V.  14  will  show.  The  term  there — ''of  full  age" — 
is  in  the  margin  rendered  "perfect,"  just  as  in 
I  Cor.  xiv.  20,  ''be  men'  is  in  the  margin  rendered 
"be  perfect,"  or  "of  a  ripe  age."  It  is  used  thus 
with  two  applications:  in  Hebrews,  Christianity 
itself  is  perfection,  or  maturity,  in  contrast  with 
Judaism,  which  was  a  state  of  childhood.  But 
again,  among  Christians  there  are  those  perfect,  or 
mature,  in  contrast  with  being  babes;  and  the 
apostle  Paul,  in  the  third  of  Philippians,  in  which 
he  disclahns  the  having  attained,  or  being  already 
perfect,  (as  a  consummation  which  he  would  not 
reach  until  with  Christ  in  glory,)  classes  himself 
immediately  after  among  those  who  had  in  another 
sense  "attained:"  "Let  us  therefore,  as  many  as 
be  perfect,  be  thus  minded." 

There  are  many  texts  which  I  cannot  now  go 
through  ;  but  this  should  prevent  the  catching  at  a 
word,  as  people  are  prone  to  do.  Plenty  about 
perfection  there  is,  no  doubt,  in  Scripture ;  but  if 
we  set  up  any  standard  short  of  walking  as  Christ 
walked,  we  are  really  lowering  it.  If,  on  the  other 
hand,  we  can  measure  ourselves  with  Christ,  and 
yet  feel  no  rebuke,  we  must  be  indeed  inordinately, 
if  not  incredibly,  self  complacent. 

Mischief  is  wrought  in  two  ways  by  the  idea. 


LAODICEA.  229 

In  the  first  place,  sin  must  be  palliated,  excused, 
covered  by  misleading  names.  Lust  is  called 
temptation,  and  sometimes  even  daring  dishonor 
done  to  Christ  Himself  by  the  insinuation  that  He 
too  was  in  like  manner  tempted.  So  people  quote,  ^ 
''  He  was  in  all  points  tempted  like  as  we  are,  yet  ■ 
without  sin,"  as  if  it  meant  that  He  had  such  in- 
ward desires,  only  restrained  them,  so  that  there 
was  no  positive  outbreak.  This,  the  actual  blas- 
phemy of  Irving  and  Thomas,  in  milder  and  less 
pronounced  forms  infects  many  in  the  present  day. 
The  text  they  quote  in  the  common  version  favors 
these  views  too  much.  And  the  Revised  Version  j 
unhappily  perpetuates  the  error.  There  is  prop- 
erly, as  any  one  may  see  by  the  italics  (Heblv.  15), 
no  word  in  the  original  representing  "yet."  "Hell 
was  tempted  in  all  points,  like  as  we  are,  apart  from 
sin"  is  the  true  rendering.  You  must  not  imply 
sin  in  any  way  in  the  Holy  One  of  God.  Sin  it  is 
that  produces  lust,  as  the  seventh  of  Romans  de- 
cisively teaches,  as  on  the  other  hand  lust,  again, 
brings  forth  the  positive  outward  sin.  I/e  had 
neither;  no  inward  incitement  as  no  sin  in  act,  and 
herein  was  our  total  opposite,  who,  as  Scripture 
assures  us,  *'in  ma7ij/  things  offend,  a//"  (Jas.iii.2.) 

But  again,  the  character  of  holiness  is  sadly 
spoiled  by  this  perfectionism.  In  the  lips  of  many, 
"holiness"  means  "perfection,"  and  nothing  else, 
and  so  does  "sanctification."  And  yet  in  fact  holi- 
ness itself  is  marred  and  perverted  by  this  claim  as 
made.  It  becomes  self-occupation,  self-assertion. 
"Seraphic"  men  are  held  up  to  admiration.  And 
how  much  of  Christ  really  do  you  find  in  the  ex- 
perience so  largely  boasted  of  by  those  who  advo- 
cate the  doctrine?     It  may  be  in  words — is  it  in 


J 


230  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC. 

reality,  ''not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me"?  or  is  it  in 
fact  a  glorified,  transfigured,  but  very  self-conscious 
I,  that  lives  and  reigns  throughout  them?  They 
do  not  see  that,  as  the  natural  life  in  a  state  of 
health  does  not  engross  or  claim  the  attention, — as 
the  heart's  pulsation,  or  the  lung's  work  is  not 
furthered,  but  disturbed,  by  thinking  of  it, — as  the 
man  in  hospital  it  is  who  talks  of  his  good  days, 
because  they  are  scarce,  and  as  the  dyspeptic  it  is 
who ''feels"  his  stomach, — so  this  aim  at  a  self- 
conscious  holiness  produces  but  a  poor,  degenerate, 
sickly  Christianity  at  best.  Is  it  far  off  from  that 
which  says,  I  am  rich  and  increased  with  goods, 
and  have  need  of  nothing;  and  knows  not  that  it  is 
wretched,  and  miserable,  and  poor,  and  blind,  and 
naked  ? 

"  I  counsel  thee,"  says  the  Lord  to  Laodicea 
here — "  I  counsel  thee  to  buy  of  Me  gold  tried  in 
the  fire,  that  thou  mayest  be  rich;  and  white  rai- 
ment, that  thou  mayest  be  clothed,  and  that  the 
shame  of  thy  nakedness  may  not  appear ;  and  anoint 
thine  eyes  with  eye-salve,  that  thou  mayest  see." 

Three  things  are  here  which  they  are  exhorted 
to  "  buy."  So  wealthy  are  they,  the  Lord  will  not 
talk  oi  giving  to  them.  And  indeed  it  would  be  a 
happy  thing  for  them  to  exchange  their  riches 
for  them, — false  glitter  for  true  gold.  This  is 
the  first  thing:  gold.  A  frequent  symbol  this  is, 
we  know,  in  Scripture,  and  pure  gold  (as  here, 
"tried  in  the  fire,")  for  what  is  divine.  In  the 
ark  of  the  testimony,  and  in  the  furniture  of  the 
holy  places  generally,  gold  covered  all.  The  apos- 
tle, I  believe,  gives  us  the  exact  meaning,  when  he 
speaks  of  the  golden  cherubim  as  the  "  cherubim  of 
^/<?rj/,  shadowing  the  mercy-seat.    This  "glory  "  is 


LAODICEA.  231 

the  display  of  what  God  is.  God  glorifies  Himself 
when  He  shines  out  in  the  blessed  reality  of  what 
He  is;  and  Christ  is  the  true  ark  in  which  two 
materials  are  found  together — gold  and  shittim- 
wood.  The  radiance  of  divine  glory  is  the  gold  ; 
the  shittim-wood,  the  precious  verity  of  manhood. 

Can  we  not  see  why  to  Laodicea  "  gold  tried  in 
the  fire"  is  the  first  requisite?  Their  riches  were 
but  paper  money,  manufactured  out  of  the  rags  of 
self-righteousness,  and  of  merely  conventional,  not 
intrinsic  value.  Christ  was  what  they  lacked: 
divine  glory  in  the  only  face  in  which  it  shines  un- 
dimmed.  This  is  the  power  of  Christianity,  its 
essence  and  its  power  alike,  and  this  is  what  their 
false,  pretentious  Christianity  lacked  so  terribly : 
occupation  with  Christ, — discernment  of  what  and 
where  all  that  is  true  and  valuable  in  Christianity 
is  to  be  found.  To  know  where  this  is,  is  to  have 
it.  Faith  that  finds  this  treasure  is  welcome  to  its 
enjoyment.    To  be  without  it,  is  to  be  poor  indeed. 

The  next  thing  is,  ''white  raiment,  that  thou 
mayest  be  clothed,  and  that  the  shame  of  thy 
nakedness  do  not  appear."  This  is,  no  doubt, 
practical  righteousness  of  life  and  walk.  There  is 
a  connection  between  this  and  the  former,  which 
when  we  have  their  meaning  becomes  evident 
enough.  Unless  you  have  the  divine  glory  in  the 
face  of  Jesus  shining  for  your  soul,  you  will  find  no 
ability  to  live  and  walk  aright.  The  **  white  "  is  the 
full,  undivided  ray  of  light;  and  God  is  light.  How 
is  our  life  to  be  the  reflection  of  this,  except  as 
"  God,  who  commanded  the  light  to  shine  out  of 
darkness,"  is  shining  in  our  hearts, "  to  give  out  the 
light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  Christ  in  the 
face   of  Jesus   Christ?"     Leviticus    must  precede 


232  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

Numbers  ever.  We  must  go  in  to  see  God  in  the 
sanctuary  before  we  can  possibly  come  out  and 
walk  with  Him  in  the  world. 

Finally,  we  have  here,  "and  anoint  thine  eyes 
with  eye-salve,  that  thou  mayest  see."  Thus  there 
was  utter  blindness, — the  condition  of  the  Pharisees 
over  again.  They  did  not  realize  it.  They  said, 
"  We  see,"  and  thus  their  ''  sin  remained."  For  the 
consciously  blind,  there  is  with  Christ  effectual 
healing;  but  they,  alas!  needed  not  the  physician. 

These  characters,  taken  in  their  full  extent,  reveal 
a  state  which  is  assuredly  not  Christian.  We  must 
not,  however,  on  this  account  suppose,  as  some 
have  done,  that  Laodicea  thus  represents  merely 
the  unbelievers  among  the  Christian  profession.  Of 
Sardis  it  is  distinctly  said,  "Thou  hast  a  name  to 
live,  and  thou  art  dead,''  and  yet  there  are  owned 
among  them  those  who  are  not  only  alive,  but 
"have  not  defiled  their  garments."  This  shows 
that  we  must  beware  of  ascribing  the  character- 
istics of  the  mass  to  all  the  individuals  in  it.  It  is 
a  state  of  things  as  to  which  all  found  in  association 
with  it  have  the  gravest  responsibility ;  but  to  say 
it  is  only  to  be  applied  to  the  unconverted  is  to 
deprive  the  warning  given  of  all  its  power.  It  is 
to  enable  every  consciously  converted  man  to  wash 
his  hands  of  the  responsibihty.  Whereas  all  around 
us,  not  only  are  the  signs  of  Laodiceanism  growing 
continually  more  manifest,  but  the  infection  also  of 
Christians  with  its  spirit.  And  here  again  also  it  is 
apparent  how  Philadelphia  may  open  the  way  to 
Laodicea  itself. 

Philadelphia  proclaims  the  brotherjiood  of  Chris- 
tians, seeks  the  true  Church,  insists  upon  the  evil 
of  division,  and  the  maintenance  of  individual  con- 


LAODICEA.  233 

science  in  consistency  with  the  recognition  of  the 
one  body  of  Christ  in  all  its  members.  Laodicea — 
Satan's  counterfeit — proclaims  also  that  the  church 
is  one,  that  union  is  strength,  in  order  to  bring 
about  a  grand  confederacy  in  which  truth  shall  be 
sacrificed  for  company's  sake,  and  the  power  con- 
ferred by  numbers.  To  the  eyes  of  men,  Laodicea 
becomes  thus  only  the  true  carrying  out  of  the 
Philadelphian  idea, — itself  a  better  and  grander 
Philadelphia.  Here  Christ  may  in  the  very  name 
of  Christ  be  put  outside  the  door, — a  development 
of  principles  which  are  far  and  wide  leavening 
men's  minds,  and  preparing  the  way  for  the  dark 
and  dread  apostasy  in  which  the  dispensation  is 
announced  of  God  to  end. 

Confederacy  is,  politically  and  socially,  a  charac- 
ter of  the  times.  In  mercantile  affairs  of  every 
kind,  companies  are  getting  to  be  more  and  more 
every  where  the  rule.  The  strength  realized  by 
union  is  here  well  recognized.  In  the  rise  of  the 
popular  element,  combination  is  not  merely  an 
advantage;  it  is  an  imperative  necessity.  By  its 
means  alone  can  the  poor  man  make  his  voice  be 
heard  upon  nearer  equality  of  terms  with  the  cap- 
italist, the  laborer  with  his  employer.  Yet  here  the 
true  individuality  which  God  would  have, — the 
individuality  of  conscience  with  which  alone  real 
uprightness  of  conduct  can  be  maintained,^has 
to  be  lost  and  give  way  to  the  will  of  the  majority. 

No  power  can  be  attained  by  the  body  at  large 
thus  except  by  ruinous  self-sacrifice  on  the  part  of 
its  members.  It  must  have  unity,  the  unity  of  a 
machine,  or  nothing  can  be  effected ;  but  for  this, 
heart  and  conscience  must  be  leveled  down  to  wood 
and  iron.     It  is  essential  that  freedom  of  individual 


234  PRESENT   THINGS,    ETC. 

action  there  should  be  none ;  and  thus  there  is  no 
tyranny  so  great  as  the  tyranny  often  here  exer- 
cised,— no  more  ruthless  treading  down  of  the  most 
sacred  and  personal  rights  than  with  those  in  whose 
mouths  the  cry  of  "  People's  rights ! "  is  oftenest 
and  loudest. 

Religions  associations  may  seem  often  in  their 
laxity  as  opposite  to  this  as  can  be,  and  yet  the 
laxity  itself  be  as  contrary  to  God,  and  bind  me  as 
much  to  His  dishonor.  What  seems  the  largest 
liberality  may  thus  be  the  very  spirit  of  disobedi- 
ence, and  to  this  it  is  that  every  thing  in  the  present 
day  is  tending.  Satan  can  press  upon  us  the  evil 
of  division  just  there  where  division  is  not  an  evil, 
but  a  right  and  godly  separation  from  evil ;  and  he 
can  point  out  good  to  be  accomplished,  to  make  us 
little  careful  as  to  the  means  by  which  it  is  proposed 
to  accomplish  it.  A  united  Christian  church  which 
should  become  so  by  making  it  a  matter  of  indiffer- 
ence whether  Christ  were  God  or  only  the  highest 
kind  of  man  would  certainly  be  his  greatest  achieve- 
ment. The  startling  thing  to-day  is,  that  men 
considered  evangelical  can  accept  associations  of 
this  kind ;  and  the  platform  upon  which  they  stand 
widens  continually :  what  would  have  been  liber- 
ality a  short  time  since  is  now  narrowness.  The 
world  moves ;  but  the  unbending  word  of  God 
which  moves  not,  against  this  it  will  dash  itself 
only  to  its  destruction. 

Amid  this  concourse  and  confederacy  of  men, 
communion  with  God  becomes  continually  more 
restricted:  "  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door, and  knock: 
if  any  man  hear  My  voice,  and  open  the  door,  I 
will  come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him,  and  he 
with  Me."    This  door  is  plainly  individual, — not  of 


LAODICEA.  235 

the  church,  but  of  the  heart.  But  then  it  is  as  plain 
that  the  church-door  is  shut  against  Him ;  not  that 
He  has  shut  it,  or  Himself  spewed  the  church  out 
of  His  mouth.  He  is  still  lingering  in  His  love, — 
still  saying,  "As  many  as  I  love,  I  rebuke  and 
chasten:  be  zealous,  therefore,  and  repent."  But 
they  do  not  repent.  He  is  as  when  at  Nazareth  in 
the  days  of  His  earthly  ministry  (rejected  by  those 
who  should  have  known  Him  best,)  it  is  written  of 
Him,  ''And  He  could  there  do  no  mighty  work, 
save  that  He  laid  His  hand  upon  a  few  sick  folk, 
and  healed  them."  He  could  not  do  what  He 
would;  He  would  do  what  He  could:  "And  He 
marveled  at  their  unbelief;  and  He  went  round 
about  the  villages,  teaching."  So  here,  rejected  by 
the  body  at  large.  He  tries  one  door  after  another, 
in  this  solemn  pause  before  the  end.  He  would 
not  judge  in  the  mass;  so  He  tries  in  detail.  And 
if  any  heart  responds, — for  all  seem  to  have  shut 
Him  out,  but  He  will  not  take  it  yet  as  final, — then 
He  will  come  in  there,  and  sup:  that  soul  shall  yet 
to  its  everlasting  joy  entertain  its  Lord. 

But  the  time  hastens,  and  the  nearness  of  the  end 
is  shown  by  the  closing  promise  to  the  overcomer: 
"  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  grant  to  sit  with 
Me  on  My  throne,  even  as  1  also  overcame,  and  am 
set  down  with  My  Father  on  His  throne."  He 
speaks,  as  He  appears  to  the  apostle,  as  Son  of 
Man  here.  It  is  His  kingdom  as  Son  of  Man  He  is 
about  to  take :  that  special  throne  from  which  as 
with  a  rod  of  iron  He  will  break  in  pieces  all  oppo- 
sition, and  bring  every  thing  into  subjection  to 
God.  For  it  is  His  to  do  this.  He  has  laid  the 
foundation  in  the  work  of  the  cross :  His  hands 
shall  finish  it.     AH  judgment  is  His,  because  He  is 


236  PRESENT  THINGS,   ETC 

the  Son  of  Man.  And  judgment  itself  now  is  the 
only  work  left  for  mercy  to  accomplish.  So  there 
comes — most  terrible  of  all  wrath,  the  wrath  of  the 
Lamb, — the  wrath  of  love  itself:  the  wrath  of  Him 
who  has  been  Wfitching  all  these  patient  centuries 
the  oppression  of  the  meek,  in  whose  ears  have  been 
the  cries  of  the  fallen  in  the  terrible  strife ;  He  of 
whom  the  wicked  hath  said  in  his  heart,  He  will 
not  require  it;  yet  who  beholdeth  mischief  and 
spite  to  requite  it  with  His  hand ;  to  whom  the 
poor  committeth  himself,  who  is  the  Helper  of  the 
fatherless.  He  now  riseth  up.  "For  the  oppres- 
sion of  the  poor,  for  the  sighing  of  the  needy,  now 
will  I  arise,  saith  the  Lord :  I  will  set  him  in  safety 
from  him  that  puffeth  at  him." 

In  a  word,  the  present  day  of  grace  is  in  this 
*      promise  marked  as  just  at  its  end.     And  with  this 
^       the  Church,  as  the  vessel  of  the  testimony  of  that 
V     ^grace,    is   being   removed   from    the    earth.      The 
j^  ''present  things  "  at  which  we  have  been  looking 
>  are  just  over.     The  Christian  dispensation  has  run 

its  course.  The  saints  removed  to  heaven,  the  rest 
that  are  left  are  but  reprobate,  and  fall  soon  into 
utter  apostasy.  Then  comes  the  earth's  great  trial- 
time,  the  time  of  Jacob's  trouble,  out  of  which  yet 
he  shall  be  delivered ;  the  heading  up  of  unbelief 
in  gigantic  forms  of  evil,  dimly  (and  but  dimlj^)  now 
looming  up  amid  the  shadows  of  the  horizon.  Be- 
yond it  yet  the  glory  of  a  brighter  day,  when  the 
redeemed  of  the  Lord  shall  come  with  singing  unto 
Zion,  and  everlasting  joy  shall  be  upon  their  head ; 
when  a  King  shall  reign  in  righteousness,  and 
princes  shall  rule  in  judgment;  and  a  MAN  shall 
be  as  a  hiding-place  from  the  wind,  and  a  covert 
from  the  tempest ;  as  rivers  of  water  in  a  dry  place, 


LAODICEA.  237 

as  the  shadow  of  a  great  rock  in  a  weary  land.  And 
the  earth  shall  be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the 
Lord  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea. 

Sweeter  than  all  and  brighter  the  joy  above, 
when  in  the  mansions  of  the  Father's  house  that 
promise  shall  be  fulfilled,  ''  I  will  come  again,  and 
receive  you  unto  Myself;  that  where  I  am,  there 
ye  may  be  also." 

F.  W.  G. 


>>»:<: 


s. 


*w 


An  Exposition   of  Revelation  iv. — xxii. 


J^AJ^T  I. 

Introductory. 

(i)  Prophecies  Leading  Up  to  These. 

OUR  title  to  the  following  pages  indicates  our  adher- 
ence in  some  sense  to  the  interpretation  of  the 
book  of  Revelation  which  makes  the  body  of  it — the 
nineteen  chapters  upon  which  we  are  entering — apply  to 
what  is  still  for  us  future.  Those  who  so  apply  it,  what- 
ever differences  in  detail  there  may  be  among  them,  are 
on  this  account  called  ''futurists,"  in  contrast  with  the 
large  school  of  "  Presentists "  or  "  Historicalists,"  who 
find  in  it  a  progressive  history  of  the  Church  from 
the  beginning,  and  interpret  it  naturally  by  that  history. 

They  are  usually  and  strongly  opposed  to  one  another, 
as  might  be  expected,  although  there  is  no  fiecessary 
opposition  in  the  views  themselves.  Both  may  be  held, 
and  have  been  held  together,  by  some  who  hold  that  there 
is  an  incipient,  real,  though  incomplete  fulfillment  of 
divine  prophecy,  as  well  as  a  final  exhaustive  one;  the  first 
being  often  an  assurance  and  help  to  the  meaning  of  the 
latter.  And  this  I  accept  for  myself  as  at  least  generally 
true,  and  true  in  the  case  before  us,  and  that  (to  use  the 
words  of  another)  "they  are  both  dX^^ practically  wrong 
who  have  slightingly  rejected  the  one  or  the  other  [appli- 
cation], and  thus  respectively  deprived  the  Church  of 
each." 

But  while  I  thus  would  keep  in  mind  and  seek  to  profit 


2  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

by  this  double  interpretation,  the  latter  is  what  I  desire, 

as  God  may  enable  me,  to  develop  and  insist  upon,  and 

^  this  for  more  reasons  than  one,  but  especially  just  because 

'  it  is  that  which  is  alone  complete  and  final,  and  still  lying 

;  in  the  future  for  us;  whereas  the  historical  interpretation 

'  occupies  us  largely  with  the  past, — a  past  still  fruitful  for 

us  assuredly,  but  less  full  of  personal  appeal.     This  will 

indeed  be  questioned,  and  it  is  not  yet  the  time  to  answer 

the  question. 

Clearly  the  first  point  now  is  to  prove,  if  it  can  be 
proved,  the  futurity  of  the  fulfillment  of  the  prophecies 
which  we  are  to  examine, — that  such  fulfillment  is  re- 
quired by  the  inspired  language  of  the  book  itself,  and  by 
a  comparison  with  other  Scripture.  This  ascertained,  we 
can  look  better  at  objections  which  have  been  made  to  it, 
and  realize  also  the  profit  of  what  is  to  engage  us. 

||#  The  first  principle  to  be  got  hold  of  is  that  given  us  by 

^  -  the  apostle  Peter,  that  "  no  prophecy  of  the  Scripture 
%  \^^*  is  of  any  private  interpretation"  (2  Pet.  i.  ,20).  It  is 
JT  prophecy  that  is  in  question  here,  not,  all  Scripture,  as  the 
Romanists  would  apply  it.  But  also  ''private  interpreta- 
tion" is  literally  ^^its  own  interpretation."  No  single 
prophecy  must  be  read  alone, — as  if  it  stood  apart  from 
the  rest;  but  in  connection  with  the  whole  plan  of  it  in  the 
Word.  "  For  prophecy  came  not  in  old  time  by  the  will 
of  man," — is  not  therefore  the  expression  of  the  many 
minds  of  men;  "but  holy  men  of  God  spake  as  they  were 
moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost :  " — there  is  One  perfect  mind 
throughout  it. 

Now  the  violation  of  this  will  be  found  to  be  largely 
the  cause  of  the  failure  of  expositors.  They  neglect  a 
rule  which  the  apostle  emphasizes  as  of  first  importance 
— "knowing  this  first.''  It  is  comparatively  easy  to  find 
some  plausible  application  of  a  single  passage;  it  is  quite 
another  thing  to  make  this  fit  with  a  general  prophetic 
testimony.     Comparison  of  passage  with  passage  on  this 


INTRODUCTORY.  3 

subject  is  what  we  are  invited  and  compelled  to  there- 
fore, if  we  would  have  truth  instead  of  theory,  realized 
certainty  rather  than  conjecture.  What  we  hold  must  be 
tested  and  retested  by  the  application  of  similar  scripture, 
so  that  at  least  "  in  the  mouth  of  two  or  three  witnesses 
every  word"  may  *'be  established." 

Moreover,  it  will  be  plainly  of  importance  to  find  some 
comprehensive  prophecy  connecting  itself  with  some  fixed 
point,  or  points,  on  Scripture,  with  which  others  may 
be  then  securely  connected.  Such  prophecies  we  mayi 
find  again  and  again  in  the  book  of  Daniel,  a  book  in  the 
closest  relation  also  to  the  book  of  Revelation,  as  all 
expositors  of  whatever  school  are  agreed  absolutely. . 
Turn  we,  then,  in  the  first  place,  to  the  second  of  Daniel. 

We   have  here    Nebuchadnezzar's  vision   of   the   four"- 
Gentile  empires  under  the  symbol  of  a  great  image,  which 
is  brought  to  an  end  by  the  sudden  descent  of  a  stone  cut 
without  hands  out  of  a  mountain;  the   stone   becoming 
then  a  great  mountain  which  fills  the  whole  earth.     This  A 
stone  is  interpreted  for  us  as  the  kingdom  of  God,  which  ) 
is  seen  thus  in  victorious  opposition  to  the  kingdoms  of  the  j 
world,  suddenly  and  totally  destroying  them.     It  is  after  J 
this  only  that  it  grows  and  fills  the  earth.     The  world- 
kingdoms  are  not  pervaded  or  ''  leavened  "  by  the  king- 
dom of  God,  but  run   their  course   first,  and   are   then 
at  once  destroyed  by  it.     This  fall  of  the  stone  is  one  [ 
of  those  fixed  points  for  which  we  are   looking,  and   it 
is  future  without  doubt. 

In  the  seventh  chapter  the  prophet  has  a  vision  of 
these  same  four  empires,  now  seen  very  differently  as  four 
wild  beasts,  while  the  kingdom  of  God  is  introduced 
by  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven.  And  here  it  is,  if  possible,  still  more  plain  that  ( 
this  kingdom  only  coinme72ces  with  the  destruction  of  the  i 
former  ones.  There  is  no  possibility  of  any  side  by  side 
development.  Of  the  ''  little  horn  "  of  the  last  beast  it  is 
said  :  "  And  he  shall  speak  great  words  against  the  Most 


4  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

High,  and  shall  wear  out  the  saints  of  the  Most  High, 
and  think  to  change  times  and  laws,  and  they  shall  be 
given  unto  his  hand  until  a  time  and  times  and  the  divid- 
ing of  time;  but  the  judgment  shall  sit,  and  they  shall 
take  away  his  dominion,  to  consume  and  destroy  it  to  the 
end.  And  the  kingdom  and  dominion  and  the  greatness 
of  the  kingdom  under  the  whole  heaven  shall  be  given  to 
the  people  of  the  saints  of  the  Most  High,  whose  kingdom 
is  an  everlasting  kingdom,  and  all  dominions  should  serve 
and  obey  Him." 

Thus  it  is  evident  that  the  kingdom  of  God  here 
1  is  that  which  will  be  set  up  only  when  the  Lord  returns  in 
the  clouds  of  heaven;  that  till  then  the  kingdoms  of 
the  Gentiles  continue,  and  then  they  are  once  for  all 
broken  and  set  aside.  In  connection  with  the  last  beast, 
^moreover,  we  have  just  before  the  end  the  rise  of  a  power 
which  shows  itself  a  blasphemous  and  persecuting  one, 
and  which  by  this  brings  judgment  down  upon  itself  and 
the  beast,  or  empire,  with  which  it  is  connected.  This 
horn  lasts,  moreover,  (in  this  character)  just  three  and 
a  half  prophetic  times,  and  then  the  judgment  sits,  and 
his  dominion  is  taken  away. 

Carrying,  then,  these  things  with  us,  let  us  now  go  on 
to  the  ninth  chapter,  a  prophecy  which,  for  intelligence  in 
the  general  plan  of  divine  wisdom,  is  central  in  import- 
ance, and,  interpreting  as  little  as  we  can  help,  let  us  put 
this  in  connection  with  what  we  have  already  seen. 

It  is  the  well-known  prophecy  of  the  seventy  weeks. 
In  it  we  have  an  answer  to  Daniel's  confession  of  his  sin, 
and  the  sin  of  his  people  Israel,  and  his  supplication 
for  the  holy  mountain  of  his  God;  and  he  is  told — 

"  Seventy  weeks  are  determined  upon  thy  people  and 
upon  thy  holy  city,  to  finish  the  transgression,  and  to 
make  an  end  of  sins,  and  to  make  reconciliation  for 
iniquity,  and  to  bring  in  everlasting  righteousness,  and  to 
seal  up  the  vision  and  prophecy,  and  to  anoint  the  Most 
Holy." 


INTRODUCTORY.  5 

The  meaning  should  be  plain,  that  at  the  end  of  seventy 
determined  weeks,  Jerusalem  s  transgression  would  be 
finished,  and  her  sins  would  be  at  an  end,  her  iniquity 
being  purged,*  and  everlasting  righteousness  brought  in 
for  her;  and  her  holy  place,  now  desecrated,  be  once 
more  anointed.  At  the  same  time  vision  and  prophecy 
would  be  sealed  up  f  by  a  fulfillment  in  which  it  would 
reach  its  end  and  disappear.  This  last  statement  alone  is 
enough  to  show  that  we  have  to  do  with  what  is  future  still. 

The  angel  goes  on  to  give  Daniel  more  in  detail  the 
events  of  these  seventy  weeks.  '*  Know,  therefore,  and 
understand  that  from  the  going  forth  of  the  commandment 
to  restore  and  to  build  Jerusalem  unto  Messiah  the  Prince, 
shall  be  seven  weeks  and  threescore  and  two  weeks  :  the 
street  shall  be  built  again,  and  the  wall  even  in  troublous 
times." 

There  is  no  need  for  our  purpose  to  inquire  for  the 
exact  beginning  of  this  time.  We  are  not  tracing  exactly 
its  fulfillment.  It  is  enough  for  us  that  the  prophecy 
itself  assures  us  that  at  the  end  of  sixty-nine  weeks, 
Messiah  shall  come.  The  weeks  must  be  weeks  of  years, 
therefore,  as  almost  all  orthodox  commentators  agree, — 
all,  in  fact,  who  recognize  in  them  any  real  specification 

*  Kapper,  with  the  simple  objective,  speaks  of  atonement  taking  effect 
upon  the  object. 

t  "  The  figure  of  sealing  is  regarded  by  many  interpreters  in  the  sense 
of  confirming,  and  that  by  filling  up,  with  reference  to  the  custom  of  im- 
l)ressing  a  seal  on  writing  for  the  confirmation  of  its  contents;  and  in 
illustration  these  references  are  given :  1  Kings  xxi.  8,  and  Jer.  xxxii.  10, 
11,  44.  But  for  this  figurative  use  of  the  word  to  seal,  no  proof -passages  are 
adduced  from  the  Old  Testament.  Add  to  this  that  the  word  cannot  be  used 
here  in  a  diflerent  sense  from  that  in  which  it  is  used  in  the  second 
passage.  The  sealing  of  the  prophecy  corresponds  to  the  sealing  of  the 
transgression,  and  must  be  similarly  understood."  (Keil.)  To  "make  an 
end  of  sins"  is  literally  to  "seal  up  sins." 

The  words  "vision"  and  "prophecy"  (literally  "prophet")  Keil 
says,  "are  used  in  comprehensive  generality  for  all  existing  proi)hecies 
and  prophets.  Not  only  the  projjhecies,  but  the  prophet  who  gives  it, — 
i.e.  not  mei'ely  the  pi-ophet  but  the  calhng  of  the  prophet  must  be  sealed. 
Prophecies,  and  prophets  are  sealed  when,  by  the  full  realization  of  all 
proi)hecies  prophecy  ceases,  no  jjrophets  any  more  appear."  (Keil  on 
Daniel.) 


6  ''things  that  shall  be. 

of  time  at  all*  And  with  year-weeks  the  Jews  were,  as 
we  know,  perfectly  familiar.  The  whole  period  is  thus 
ten  jubilees. 

Four  hundred  and  eighty-three  years,  then,  from  the 
commencement  of  this  period  Messiah  comes,  and  but 
seven  years  remain  in  which  the  full  blessing  should  come 
in.  It  is  this  which  has  doubtless  stumbled  many  as  to  the 
fulfillment  to  Israel  and  Jerusalem  which  the  first  words 
of  the  angel  yet  so  clearly  promise.  Startling  it  is  to  have 
to  recognize  a  break  of  over  eighteen  centuries  in  a  period 
of  time  which  seems  so  strictly  defined.  The  next  verse, 
however,  prepares  us  for  this,  and  accounts  for  it.  Mes- 
siah comes  to  His  own,  and  His  own  receive  Him  not. 
Thus  the  blessing  is  delayed,  although,  of  course,  the  pur- 
poses of  God  are  unrepenting. 

"  And  after  the  threescore  and  two  weeks " — as  the 
Hebrew  reads, — "  shall  Messiah  be  cut  off,  and  shall  have 
nothing : "  so  rightly  the  margin  and  the  R.  V.  give.  In- 
stead of  reception  by  a  willing  people,  He  finds  rejection 
and  a  cross,  does  not  therefore  yet  receive  the  promises. 
The  city  is  not  restored,  but  desolated  :  ''And  the  people 
of  the  prince  that  shall  come  shall  destroy  the  city 
and  the  sanctuary."  All  agree  here  that  there  is  the 
destruction  of  the  city  by  the  Romans;  most,  therefore, 
assume  that  Titus  is  the  "prince  that  shall  come,"  but 
against  this  there  are  many  reasons.  For  why  in  this  case 
should  the  people  be  mentioned  at  all  ?  Would  it  not 
be  enough  to  say  that  the  prince  shall  destroy — it  being  a 
matter  of  course  that  it  would  be  through  his  people  ?  Is 
it  not  plain  that  while  the  people  and  the  prince  are  both 
emphasized  for  us,  it  is  the /^^/^  alone  that  are  said  to  do 
this,  only  they  are  the  people  of  the  prince  that  shall  come  ? 

What  importance  attaches  to  Titus  that  he  should  be 
given  this  prominence,  and  in  so  concise  a  prophecy,  in 

*  Keil  regards  the  numbers  as  to  be  symbolically  interpreted,  which  I 
do  not  doubt,  while  this  does  not  in  the  least  affect  their  chronological 
character. 


INTRODUCTORY.  7 

which  every  word  seems  measured  out  with  greatest 
economy  ?  Certainly  no  where  else  does  he  appear  at  all. 
Why,  too,  the  "  prince  that  shall  come  "  ?  against  the  city  ? 
but  this  would  be  strange  tautology  for  the  word  of  God  ! 
Of  course  if  he  were  a  leader  of  the  host  he  would  come 
against  the  city.  But  the  expression  is  the  very  one  which 
would  be  used  to  point  out  some  great  person  predicted  to 
arise,  of  whom  Daniel  had  heard  before. 

But  there  is  another  mark  attached  to  this  person : 
"And  his  end  shall  be  in  the  flood."  Here  our  common 
version  has  indeed  "the  end  thereof."  But  the  end  of 
what  then  ?  Not  of  the  destruction  of  the  city  ?  Not  of 
the  city,  for  this  is  feminine  in  Hebrew,  and  would  not 
agree  with  the  pronoun.  Not  of  the  sanctuary,  which 
could  not  be  detached  from  the  city  in  this  way.  More- 
over, the  article  with  flood — "  the  flood,"  as  it  should  be — 
speaks  again  of  some  definite  and  known  catastrophe. 
The  whole  passage  is  to  be  regarded  as  some  relative 
clause,  and  connected  with  "shall  come:"  "the  people 
of  the  prince  that  shall  come  and  find  his  destruction 
in  the  flood."  (Keil. ) 

This,  of  course,  it  is  impossible  to  apply  to  Titus.  Let 
us  see  how  it  does,  in  fact,  apply. 

The  ^'people  of  the  prince  that  shall  come"  we  know 
historically  as  the  Romans;  the  fourth  beast  or  empire  of 
the  seventh  chapter,  it  is  conceded  by  the  mass  of  inter- 
preters, and  susceptible  of  the  most  abundant  proof,  was 
also  Roman.  And  now,  looking  at  the  prophetic  history  of 
the  empire,  surely  it  is  not  difficult  to  recognize  in  the 
little  horn,  whose  actions  bring  judgment  upon  the  beast, 
the  prince  that  shall  come  whose  end  is  in  the  flood.  The 
closing  statements  in  the  chapter  seem  as  if  they  should 
make  doubt  as  to  this  really  impossible. 

We  return  for  a  moment,  however,  to  what  characterizes 
the  rest  of  the  period.  The  R.  V.  renders  it  well  :  "And 
even  unto  the  end  shall  be  war;  desolations  shall  be 
determined." 


8  "things  that  shall  be." 

The  last  verse  of  the  prophecy  now  gives  us,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  doings  of  this  little  horn,  the  last  of  the 
seventy  weeks  :  ''And  he  shall  confirm  a  covenant  with 
the  many  for  one  week;  and  in  the  midst  of  the  week  he 
shall  cause  the  sacrifice  and  oblation  to  cease;  and  on 
account  of  the  wing  of  abominations  there  shall  be  a  des- 
olator;  even  until  the  consummation,  and  that  determined 
shall  be  poured  upon  the  desolate." 

I  have  made  in  the  translation  some  small  and  yet  im- 
portant alterations,  which  will  be  justified  as  we  proceed. 
The  first  point  to  notice  is  that  the  last  week  is  here 
divided  in  half,  and  that  a  half  week  of  years — three  and 
a  half  years — gives  us  another  link  which  seems  decisive 
with  the  history  of  the  little  horn.  For  "  a  time,  times, 
and  the  dividing  of  a  time  "  are  times  and  laws  given  into 
the  hands  of  this  blasphemous  and  persecuting  power, 
and  here  he  causes  sacrifice  and  oblation  to  cease  for 
what  is  evidently  this  very  period.  This  surely  is  a  strik- 
ing example  of  how  times  and  laws  have  been  given  into 
his  hands.  And  as  the  whole  seventy  weeks  are  determ- 
ined upon  Israel  and  Jerusalem,  we  see  that  the  sacrifices 
must  have  been  restored  there.  This  naturally  carries  us 
back  to  the  previous  clause  :  "  He  shall  confirm  a  cov- 
enant with  the  many  for  one  week."  It  is  not  the  cov- 
enant but  a  covenant :  the  definite  article,  misplaced  here, 
has  made  people  think  of  God's  covenant  with  His  people, 
and  thus  given  aid  to  a  false  conception  of  its  being 
Messiah  that  confirms  it.  But  the  antecedent  to  the  pro- 
noun "he"  is  certainly  "the  prince  that  shall  come"  as 
every  other  mark  points  in  the  same  direction.  On 
the  other  hand  the  article  does  stand  before  "many," 
making  it  ^' the  many," — i.e.^  the  mass  of  the  Jewish 
people.  The  covenant  becomes  thus  a  political  agreement 
with  the  mass  of  the  Jewish  nation  for  seven  years;  but  in 
the  week  he  breaks  it,  changes  times  and  laws,  and  his 
tyranny  begins. 

Why  he  makes  sacrifices  and  oblation  to  cease  is  easily 


INTRODUCTORY.  9 

seen  from  the  seventh  chapter.  Every  detail  fits  in 
the  most  exact  way  possible.  The  little  horn  speaks  great 
words  against  the  Most  High,  and  wears  out  the  saints  of 
the  Most  High.  It  is  as  sacrifice  to  God  that  he  stops 
the  Jewish  service.  And  in  perfect  agreement  we  read 
here:  ''And  on  account  of  the  wing  of  abominations 
there  shall  be  a  desolator."  This  is  quite  literal,  as  our 
common  version  is  not.  The  R.  V.  differs  from  it  by 
translating  '^upon  the  wing,"  which  is  the  more  usual 
rendering  of  the  pronoun,  my  own  being  simply  the 
equivalent  of  "for"  in  that  with  which  we  are  familiar, 
"For  the  protection  of  idols"  is,  I  do  not  doubt,  the 
sense  sufficiently.  A  desolator  comes  in  consequence  of 
idolatry  introduced,  and  this  lasts  until  the  decreed  time 
expires — until  the  full  end  of  the  seventy  weeks. 

Notice  another  point  where  the  seventh  chapter  not 
only  confirms  but  explains  the  ninth.  We  have  seen  that 
the  latter  declares  that  at  the  end  of  the  determined  time 
the  blessing  comes  for  Israel.  But  the  details  of  the 
seventy  weeks  show  nothing  but  disaster  and  evil,  right 
down  to  their  expiration.  How  the  blessing  comes  it  does 
not  show;  but  this  the  seventh  chapter  already  supplies. 
The  horn  prevails  against  the  saints  for  the  three  and 
a  half  times  or  years  of  either  prophecy;  but  this  is  "//// 
the  Ancient  of  Days"  comes  {ik  22),  which  in  a  moment 
changes  all.  •  Let  the  reader  only  turn  to  Zech.  xiv.,  and 
see  how,  in  the  very  midst  of  Israel's  distress,  the  Lord 
appears  :  "■  For  I  will  gather  all  nations  against  Jerusalem 
to  battle;  and  the  city  shall  be  taken,  and  the  houses 
rifled,  and  the  women  ravished;  and  half  of  the  city  shall 
go  forth  into  captivity,  and  the  residue  of  the  people  shall 
not  be  cut  off  from  the  city."  And  why?  "Then  shall 
the  Lord  go  forth  and  fight  against  those  nations  as  when 
He  fought  in  the  day  of  battle.  And  His  feet  shall  stand 
in  that  day  upon  the  Mount  of  Olives,  ....  and  the 
Lord  my  God  shall  come,  and  all  the  saints  with  Thee." 

We  see,  then,  how,  as  in  a  moment,  the  desolation  ends. 


lO  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

There  is  entire  harmony  thus  far,  and  this  in  itself  is  one 
of  the  most  convincing  arguments  for  the  truth  of  that 
which  unites  and  harmonizes  these  different  statements. 
But  we  have  not  yet  completed  the  review  of  Daniel's  tes- 
timony, for  in  the  final  prophecy  (chap,  x.-xii.)  we  have 
what  again  in  the  clearest  way  supplements  and  confirms 
what  has  been  gathered  from  the  previous  ones.  We  take 
it  indeed  from  the  long  prophetic  history  with  which  it  is 
connected,  as  yet  not  able  even  to  glance  at  this,  but 
trusting  to  the  clearness  of  its  own  evidence  for  the  rela- 
tion it  bears  to  what  we  have  just  been  looking  at : — 

"  And  arms  shall  stand  on  his  part,  and  they  shall  pol- 
lute the  sanctuary  of  strength,  and  shall  take  away  the 
daily  sacrifice^  and  they  shall  place  the  abomination  that 
maketh  desolate''  (chap.  xi.  31). 

''And  I  heard  the  man  clothed  in  linen,  which  was  upon 
the  waters  of  the  river,  when  he  held  up  his  right  hand 
and  his  left  hand  unto  heaven,  and  swore  by  Him  that 
liveth  forever  that  it  shall  be  for  a  time,  times,  and  a  half; 
and  when  he  shall  have  accomplished  to  scatter  the  power 
of  the  holy  people,  all  these  things  shall  be  finished. 

"  And  frdm  the  time  that  the  daily  sacrifice  shall  be 
taken  away,  and  the  abomination  that  maketh  desolate  set 
up,  there  shall  be  a  thousand,  two  hundred  and  ninety 
days.  Blessed  is  he  that  waiteth  and  cometh  to  the 
thousand,  three  hundred  and  five  and  thirty  days.  But 
go  thou  thy  way  until  the  end  be,  for  thou  shalt  rest  and 
stand  in  thy  lot  at  the  end  of  the  days"  (chap.  xii.  7, 

11-13)- 

I       Here  it  is  clear  that  we  have  an  equal  period  to  the 
time,  times,  and  a  half,  if  taken  as  three  and  a  half  years, 
;  as  we  have  already  taken  them;*  that  first  thirty  and  then 
forty-five  days  more  are  added  successively  to  this  period; 
.  the  twelve  hundred  and  ninety  days  date  from  the  setting 
<  up  of  the  abomination,  and  therefore  we  may  conclude  that 

(*  The  year,  of  course,  is  to  be  calculated  according  to  the  Jewish 
reckoning,  at  360  days. 


INTRODUCTORY.  II 

the   twelve   hundred   and   sixty   also  do   this;  and   that  1 
at  the  end  of  the  longest  period  Daniel  stands  in  his  lot,   ' 
implying   surely  that  the  resurrection  of   the  saints  has 
taken  place.     Thus  all  of  these  dates  are  connected  with 
the  end  as  were  the  former  ones — with  the  coming  of  the 
Lord,  and  the  setting  up  of  His  kingdom.  ' 

And  the  taking  away  the  daily  sacrifice  and  setting  up 
the  abomination  of  desolation  which  is  connected  with 
these  dates,  interprets  clearly  the  causing  sacrifice  and 
oblation  to  cease,  and  the  desolation  on  account  of  the 
wing  of  abomination,  of  the  ninth  chapter.  It  is  a  con- 
firmation of  what  has  already  been  our  conclusion  from  the 
previous  prophecy  alone,  which  one  may  well  believe 
irresistible  to  any  unprejudiced  mind.  And  yet  it  is  far 
from  all  that  Scripture  has  to  give  us  with  regard  to  a 
period  to  which  evidently  it  attaches  the  very  greatest 
importance. 

(2)  Prophecies  of  the  New  Testament. 

What   we   have    gathered,   then,    from    these    different 
prophecies   is   this  : — 

1.  That   the   times   of   the   Gentiles — of    the    Gentile 
empires — are  closed  in  sudden  overthrow  by  the  kingdom  , 
of  God  established  in  the   hands   of   One  who,  as    Son 
of  Man,  comes  in  the  clouds  of  heaven. 

2.  That  the  last  form  of  Gentile  power, — the  Roman, —  . 
ends  in  blasphemous  opposition  to  God  and  to  His  saints  / 
— opposition  which  brings  the  judgment  down. 

3.  That  this  opposition  displays  itself  in  a  special  way 
in   connection   with  the    Jews,    who,  in  the   security   of 

a  covenant  with  the  last  head,  have  re-established  their       / 
temple-worship   at  Jerusalem.     Three   and  a  half  years    / 
from   the   end — a   half-week    of    years — he   breaks   this 
covenant,  causes  the  worship  of  Jehovah  to  cease,  and 
replaces   it   by  an    idolatry  which  brings   in   desolation, 
a   scourge  from  God,  lasting  until   this   period  expires. 


12  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

■  Deliverance  for  the  saints,  and  the  end  of  Gentile  do- 
minion, come  together  with  the  sudden  appearance  of  the 
Lord  from  heaven. 

In  all  this  the  simple  comparison  of  scripture  with 
scripture  has  set  aside  the  need  of  any  labored  interpre- 
tation. The  time,  times,  and  dividing  of  a  time  of  the 
little  horn's  prevalence  (Dan.  vii.)  correspond  so  in  every 
feature  with  the  last  half  week  of  the  seventy  in  chap,  ix., 
and  the  time,  times,  and  a  half  of  the  twelfth  chapter, 
that  to  force  them  asunder  would  seem  almost  manifest 
perversion.  The  successive  prophecies  agree  with  the 
preceding  ones  in  the  most  perfect  way,  while  adding 
each  something  of  its  own.  The  one  mind  of  the  Spirit 
runs  evidently  through  them  all. 

We  are  now  going  to  add  in  the  same  manner  some 
New-Testament  prophecies  to  the  Old,  and  see  if  still 
Scripture  will  not  speak  for  itself,  and  become  its  own 
interpreter, — if  as  definite  certainty  cannot  be  reached  as 
to  the  main  features  of  unfulfilled  prophecy  as  with 
regard  to  any  other  part  of  inspired  testimony. 

And  the  first  passage  we  naturally  take  up  proclaims  its 
own  connection  with  what  we  have  been  looking  at  in 
Daniel.  I  refer,  of  course,  to  the  great  prophecy  of  Matt, 
xxiv.  Read  in  the  light  of  the  prophecies  to  which 
it  refers,  it  becomes  as  clear  and  intelligible  as  can  be. 

The  Lord  has  announced  to  His  disciples  the  impend- 
ing overthrow  of  the  temple.  They  thereupon  put  two 
questions  to  Him,  which  in  their  minds  were  no  doubt 
more  closely  connected  than  they  would  be  in  ours:  "Tell 
us  when  shall  these  things  be  ?  and  what  shall  be  the  sign 
of  Thy  coming,  and  of  the  end  of  the  age?" 

As  to  the  first  question,  which  of  course  refers  to 
the  destruction  of  the  temple,  we  have  little  to  do  with 
it  just  now.  The  answer  will  be  found  more  fully  given 
in  Luke  xxi.,  in  which  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  which 
took  place  more  than  thirty-five  years  afterward,  is 
explicitly    announced.     Li    Matthew  it   will    be    found 


INTRODUCTORY.  13 

that  the  Lord  deals  rather  with  the  second,  double  ques-  ^ 
tion,  where  they  seem  evidently  to  identify  the  coming  of* 
the  Lord  with  "the  end  of  the  age" — for  "world"  it  is' 
not,  either  here  or  in  the  thirteenth  chapter,  where  the 
same  expression  is  to  be  found.     Literally,  it  is  the  "con- 
summation of  the  age." 

Now,  remembering  Daniel,  and  that  these  were  Jewish 
questioners,  with  at  present  none  but  Jewish  hopes,  but 
owning  Jesus  as  their  Messiah, — with  no  thought  of 
the  long  interval  which  was  in  fact  to  elapse  before 
His  still  future  coming,  it  is  plain  that  the  age  of  which 
they  spoke  was  the  age  of  law — of  Judaism  as  it  then 
was.  Of  a  Christian  dispensation  they  could  have  no 
thought.  The  "  coming  "  of  which  they  spoke  was  doubtless 
connected  with,  if  not  derived  from,  the  coming  of  the  Son 
of  Man  of  which  Daniel  had  spoken.  The  "end  of  the  age" 
we  have  found  portrayed  there  in  fact,  in  terms  to  which 
the  Lord  refers;  but  while  they  would  necessarily  think  of 
it  as  the  end  of  a  Jewish  age,  most  Christians  would  as 
naturally  from  their  stand-point  think  of  it  as  Christian. 

For  us,  Judaism  is  gone  forever,  and  it  is  a  strange  thing 
to  speak  of  its  revival;  yet  we  have  seen  that  Daniel  shows 
us  a  week  of  special  divine  dealings  with  Judah  and 
Jerusalem,  cut  off  from  the  sixty-nine  preceding  by 
an  unknown  interval  in  which  plainly  Christianity  has 
prevailed.  And  in  this  last  week  we  find  the  temple- 1 
services  again  going  on  until  their  interruption  by  the  : 
head  of  Gentile  power. 

It  is  to  this  interruption  the  Lord  refers,  directly  citing 
Daniel:  "When  ye  therefore  shall  see  the  abomination  of 
desolation,  spoken  of  by  Daniel  the  prophet,  stand  in  the 
holy  place,  (whoso  readeth,  let  him  understand  ;)  then  let 
them  which  be  in  Judaea  flee  into  the  mountains;  let  him 
which  is  on  the  housetop  not  come  down  to  take  any  thing 
out  of  his  house;  neither  let  him  which  is  in  the  field 
return  back  to  take  his  clothes." 

In  Luke,  where  the  taking  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Romans,  \ 


14  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

?  eighteen  centuries  ago,  is  prophesied,  while  the  same 
injunction  to  flee  to  the  mountains  is  given,  the  sign 
is  different — "Jerusalem  compassed  with  armies;"  and 
these  latter  directions  are  omitted, — they  would  be  plainly 
out  of  place.  No  such  rapid  and  instant  flight  as  is  here 
spoken  of  was  needed  to  escape  the  desolating  hosts. 
It  is  merely  therefore  said,  "  Let  them  which  are  in  Judaea 
flee  to  the  mountains,  and  let  them  which  are  in  the  midst 
,  of  it  depart  out,  and  let  not  them  that  are  in  the  countries 
I  enter  thereinto." 

But  here,  the  enemy  is  in  the  midst,  the  saints  are  the 
objects  of  special  enmity,  and  there  must  be  no  delay: 
"And  woe  unto  them  that  are  with  child,  and  to  them 
that  give  suck  in  those  days;  but  pray  ye  that  your 
flight  be  not  in  the  winter,  neither  on  the  Sabbath  day." 
Here  it  is  plain  that  Jews  under  the  full  rigor  of  Jewish 
law  are  contemplated. 

And  now  comes  another  reference  to  Daniel.  In  his 
last  prophecy  we  find  that  "at  that  time  shall  Michael 
stand  up,  the  great  prince  that  standeth  for  the  children 
of  thy  people;  and  there  shall  be  time  of  trouble  such  as 
never  was  since  there  was  a  nation  even  to  that  same 
time;  and  at  that  time  thy  people  shall  be  delivered, 
every  one  that  shall  be  found  written  in  the  book." 
(Chap.  xii.  i.) 

Thus  it  is  the  great  day  of  Jewish  deliverance  which  is 
at  hand,  and  they  are  delivered  out  of  a  time  of  unequaled 
trouble.  The  Lord's  words  echo  and  emphasize  the 
words  of  Daniel:  "For  then  shall  be  great  tribulation, 
such  as  was  not  since  the  beginning  of  the  world  to  this 
time,  no, — nor  ever  shall  be.  And  except  those  days  shall 
be  shortened,  there  should  no  flesh  be  saved;  but  for 
the  elect's  sake  those  days  shall  be  shortened." 

The  precise  time  of  the  tribulation  is  given  by  the  Old- 
Testament  prophet — three  years  and  a  half;  and  we  see  by 
the  Lord's  words  that  it  is  impossible  to  apply  here 
*    the  year-day  theory,  which  would   extend    it   to   twelve 


INTRODUCTORY.  1 5 

hundred  and  sixty  years.     This  certainly  would   not  be  • 
shortening  the  days  in  any  sense. 

He  follows  with  the  announcement  of  false  Christs  and 
false  prophets  as  characterizing  this  period, — an  addition 
to  the  Old  Testament  of  the  greatest  significance,  and 
which  we  shall  find  developed  in  succeeding  prophecies  : 
"Then,  if  any  man  shall  say  unto  you,  Lo,  here  is  Christ, 
or  there,  believe  him  not.  For  there  shall  arise  false 
Christs  and  false  prophets,  and  shall  show  great  signs 
and  wonders,  insomuch  that,  if  it  were  possible,  they  shall 
deceive  the  very  elect.  Behold,  I  have  told  you  before. 
Wherefore  if  they  shall  say  unto  you.  Behold,  He  is  in  the 
desert !  go  not  forth;  Behold,  He  is  in  the  secret  chambers! 
believe  it  not.  For,  as  the  lightning  cometh  out  of 
the  east,  and  shineth  even  unto  the  west,  so  shall  also  the 
coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  be.  For  wheresoever  the 
carcass  is,  there  will  the  eagles  be  gathered  together." 

As  in  Daniel  also,  it  is  by  this  coming  that  the  time  of 
trouble  is  closed:  "Immediately  after  the  tribulation  of 
those  days  shall  the  sun  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall 
not  give  her  light,  and  the  stars  shall  fall  from  heaven, 
and  the  powers  of  the  heavens  shall  be  shaken;  and 
then  shall  appear  the  t:ign  of  the  Son  of  Man  in  heaven; 
and  then  shall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn,  and  they 
shall  see  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven 
with  power  and  great  glory." 

For  our  purpose,  it  is  not  necessary  to  go  further.    Thei 
agreement  with  former  prophecies  is  clear  and  conclusive. 
A  latter-day  remnant  is  seen  in  Jerusalem,  distinctly  Jew- 
ish in  character,  yet  listening  to  Christ's  words,  and  owned  j" 
of  God;  and  the  end  of  the  age  of  which  the  disciples 
inquire   is  identified  with   the   broken-off    last   week   of 
Daniel's  seventy.      The  temple  is  again  owned  as  "the 
holy  place,"  though  in  the  meanwhile  defiled  with  idolatry,^ 
and   this   before   the    Lord's   coming   in   the   clouds   of 
heaven.     We  necessarily  ask  ourselves,  Where,    then,  is" 
Christianity  ?  and  what  does  this  presence  once  more  of. 


l6  *' THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE," 

1    a  Jewish  ''age"  imply  as  to  the  present  Christian  dispen- 
\    sation  ? 
,      To  this,  Scripture  gives  no  undecided  answer.    It  shows 
us  that  the  Christian  dispensation  (properly  so  called,)  is 
^  over  then;  that  the  Church,  Christ's  body,  is  complete; 
■that  all  true  Christians  have  been  caught  up  to  Christ, 
>,and  are  with  Him;  that  the  rest  of  the  professing  church 
has  been  spewed  out  of   His  mouth,  according  to    His 
.  threatening   to  Laodicea;  that   the   Lord  is  now  taking 
,  up  again  for  blessing  His  people  Israel  and  the  earth,  artd 
j  we  are  again  in  the  line  of  Old-Testament  prophecy,  and 
i   going  on  to  the  fulfillment  of  Old-Testament  promises. 
I       That   these  promises  belong   to  Israel,  literally, — His 
kinsmen  according  to  the  flesh, — we  have  the  unexception- 
able witness  of  the  apostle  to  the  Gentiles  (Rom.  ix.  4), 
who  also  warns  the  Gentile    professing  body,  that  they 
stand  only  by  faith,  and  if  they  abide  not  in  the  goodness 
of  God  which  He  has  shown  them,  shall  be  cut  off;  and 
Israel,  abiding  not  in  unbelief,  should  be   graffed   back 
again  into  her  own  olive-tree.      He  tells  us  also  that  this 
receiving  of  them  back  shall  be  "life  from  the  dead"  to 
the  nations  of  the  world;   that  blindness  in  part  is  hap- 
pened unto  Israel,  only  till  the  fullness  of  the  Gentiles  is 
come  in;  and  then  «// Israel — the  nation  as  a  whole — shall 
be  saved.    And  he  adds  that  while,  as  regards  the  gospel^ 
they  are    [treated   by  God  as]  enemies  for   our   sakes, 
as   touching  the   election  they  are  yet  beloved    for  the 
father's  sakes;  because  the  gifts  and  calling  of  God  are 
without  repentance.  (Rom.  xi.  13-29.) 

Thus  the  wonderful  change  which  Matt.  xxiv.  exhibits 
is  fully  accounted  for.  The  Jews  and  Judaism  once  more 
owned,  shows  that  the  Christian  "gospel,"  having  com- 
;  pleted  its  full  gathering  of  Gentiles  as  designed  by  God, 
I  is  going  out  no  longer.  Heaven  (though  we  must  make 
a  certain  exception  which  we  shall  by  and  by  consider,) 
— heaven  is  full.  The  gathering  for  earth  and  blessing 
there  is  now  commencing. 


INTRODUCTORY.  17 

The  Lord  has  spoken  of  false  Christs  and  false  proph- 
ets in  connection  with  that  time.  Let  us  turn  now  to 
the  apostle  John's  description  of  Antichrist.  He  warns  us 
indeed  that  already  in  his  time  there  were  many;  already 
there  was  the  character  of  the  "  last  time."  He  speaks  of 
them  as  apostates,  issuing  from  the  professing  church 
itself,  never  really  Christians,  though  among  them,  (i  Jno. 
ii.  18,  19.)  But  he  goes  on  to  describe  one  special  form,, 
''^  the  liar,"  '^  the  antichrist,"  as  his  words  really  are. 
"Who  is  the  liar,"  he  asks,  "but  he  that  denieth  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ?"  And  then  he  adds,  "He  is  the 
antichrist  that  denieth  the  Father  and  the  Son."  {v.  22.) 

It  will  be  found  that  there  are  here  two  forms  of  unbe- 
lief, which  in  this  wicked  one  unite  in  one.  The  first  is 
the  Jewish  one  that  denies  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ.  They 
do  not  deny  that  there  is  a  Christ,  but  they  deny  Jesus  to 
be  this.  The  full  Christian  belief  is  not  only  that  Jesus  is 
the  Christ,  but  that  He  is  also  the  Son  of  the  Father. 
"Whosoever  denieth  the  Son,  the  same  hath  not  the 
Father," — there  are  many  of  these  now,  as  the  Unitarians 
so  called;  but  they  deny  the  Son  to  make  much  of  the 
Father:  the  full  climax  of  unbelief  in  this  great  head  of  it 
is  here,  that  he  denieth  both  the  Father  and  the  Son. 

Thus  the  antichrist  denies  Christianity  altogether;  but 
he  owns  Judaism,  for  the  very  denial  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ  implies,  however,  that  there  is  Christ.  And  this  is  the 
complete  ^«//christ,  who  is  not  only  against  Christ,  but 
takes  His  place.  And  so  the  Lord  speaks  of  ^^ false 
Christs."  These  are,  by  profession,  then,  Jews,  and  the 
antichrist  is  a  Jew. 

How  naturally  the  antichrist  belongs,  then,  to  a  time 
when  Christianity  is  gone  from  the  earth,  and  a  revived 
Judaism  is  in  its  old  seat,  and  they  are  in  expectation  (as 
almost  necessarily  they  would  be,)  of  the  speedy  fulfillment 
now  of  the  promise  of  Messiah.  When  the  Lord  came  in 
the  flesh,  there  was  just  such  an  expectation,  and  just  such 
fruit  of  it  in  the  appearance  of  false  Christs.     And  the 


'things  that  shall  be. 


words  in  Matthew  show  that  such  a  time  there  will  be 
again;  only  now  with  a  peculiar  power  of  deception 
which  only  the  elect  escape.  Among  these  blasphemous 
pretenders  is  the  full  prophetic  antichrist. 

Let  us  turn  to  another  picture,  which  the  apostle  puts 
before  the  Thessalonians.  (2  Thess.  ii.  1-12.)  Here  we 
shall  find  what  unites  John  and  Matthew,  connecting 
the  developed  evil  of  apostate  Christendom  with  the 
revival  of  Judaism  which  the  Lord's  own  words  foreshow. 
And  I  quote  from  the  Revised  Version,  which  is  in  many 
respects  an  improvement  upon  the  common  one: — 

''  Now  we  beseech  you,  brethren,  touching  the  coming  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  our  gathering  together  unto 
Him,  to  the  end  that  ye  be  not  quickly  shaken  from  your 
mind,  nor  yet  be  troubled,  either  by  spirit,  or  by  word,  or 
by  epistle  as  from  us,  as  that  the  day  of  the  Lord  is  now 
present:  let  no  man  beguile  you  in  any  wise;  for  it  will 
not  be  except  the  falling  away  come  first,  and  the  man  of 
sin  be  revealed,  the  son  of  perdition,  he  that  opposeth  and 
exalteth  himself  against  all  that  is  called  God  or  that 
is  worshiped;  so  that  he  sitteth  in  the  temple  of  God, 
setting  himself  forth  as  God.  .  .  .  For  the  mystery  of 
lawlessness  doth  already  work,  only  there  is  one  that 
restraineth  now  until  he  be  taken  out  of  the  way.  And 
then  shall  be  revealed  the  lawless  one,  whom  the  Lord 
Jesus  shall  slay  with  the  breath  of  His  mouth,  and  bring 
to  naught  by  the  manifestation  of  His  coming:  even  he 
whose  coming  is  according  to  the  working  of  Satan,  with 
all  power  and  signs  and  lying  wonders,  and  all  deceit  of 
unrightousness  for  them  that  are  perishing;  because  they 
received  not  the  love  of  the  truth  that  they  might  be 
saved.  And  for  this  cause  God  sendeth  them  a  working 
of  error,  that  they  should  believe  a  lie;  that  they  all  might 
be  judged  who  believed  not  the  truth,  but  had  pleasure  in 
unrighteousness." 

Thus  the  solemn  end  of  Christendom  is  revealed.  And 
already  in  the  apostle's  days  the  leaven  of   evil  was  at 


INTRODUCTORY.  I9 

work,  which  but  for  a  divine  restraint  upon  it  would  be- 
fore this  have  permeated  the  whole  mass  of  profession. 
But  the  apostasy  will  come,  if  even  now  rather  it  is 
not  begun,  of  which  the  issue  and  final  head  will  be 
this  lawless  one,  who  will  sweep  away  with  him  to  common 
ruin  all  that  receive  not  the  love  of  the  truth.  They  will 
believe  a  lie — literally,  it  is  '^ the  lie," — and  ''who  is  the 
liar,  but  he  that  denieth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ?"  He 
opposeth  and  exalteth  himself  against  all  that  is  called 
God  or  worshiped:  certainly  therefore  "denieth  the  Father 
and  the  Son."  But  not  only  so:  he  sitteth  in  the  temple 
of  God,  settnig  himself  forth  as  God."  How  can  we 
forbear  to  think  of  that  abomination  of  desolation  standing 
in  the  holy  place,  which  the  Lord  has  called  our  atten- 
tion to  from  Daniel  ? 

But   here    is  a  notable  instance  of  the  need  we  have  ^ 
of  the  apostle's  warning  that  "  no  prophecy  of  the  Scrip-  \ 
ture    is   to  be  interpreted    by  itself."     To   those   rooted  I 
in  the  idea  that  Judaism  is  gone  forever,  and  that  the  *' 
Christian  Church  is  now  the  only  "temple  of  God,"  what 
more  natural   and    necessary  than   to    interpret   this    of 
the  pope  ?     Nor  do  I   for  a  moment  say  that  he  is  not 
in  the  direct  line  of  development;  prophecy  has  oftentimes 
these  incomplete  anticipative  fulfillments,  which  answer 
for  the  full  and  exhaustive  one  which  is  to  come.     But  in 
the   light   of   all   that   has   preceded,  we  may   be   quite 
sure   that  any  application   to   the    head   of   Catholicism 
is  only  partial  and  anticipative.     Popery  has  existed  for 
too  many  centuries  to  be  a  sign  of  the  coming  day  of  the 
Lord;  and  one  sitting  as  God  in  the  temple  of  God  is  too 
simply  explicative  of  the  abomination  of  desolation  in  the 
holy  place  to  make  the  application  difficult  or  doubtful. 

This  wicked  one,  like  the  little  horn  of  the  fourth  beast, 
finds  his  end  also  at  the  coming  of  the  Lord.  I  do 
not  mean  by  this  that  they  are  the  same  person,  for  they 
are  not;  but  they  belong  to  the  same  time,  and  are  closely 
connected. 


20  "things  that  shall  be. 

Thus,  then,  the  New  Testament  agrees  perfectly  with 
the  Old  in  its  represen«tation  of  the  end  of  the  age.  But 
we  have  not  examined  yet  its  fullest  and  most  decisive 
testimony,  which  we  find,  just  where  we  would  expect 
to  find  it,  in  the  book  of  Revelation.  But  of  this  we  pro- 
pose a  more  extended  examination;  and  we  have  been 
gathering  together  the  Scripture-testimony  elsewhere  only 
as  introductory  to  this  which  lies  before  us.  May  the 
Lord  Himself  direct  our  inquiries  and  govern  our  hearts 
by  the  truth  of  His  Word.  It  is  not  a  mere  intellectual 
study  that  we  propose.  We  seek  to  have  for  our  souls 
the  spiritual  power  of  what  is  unseen, — the  future  as  light 
for  the  present, — the  judgment  of  the  Lord  in  the  day 
of  the  Lord,  in  order  to  self-judgment  now, — the  joy 
of  heaven  for  present  communion.  May  He  who  alone 
can  purge  from  our  sight  the  dullness  and  drowsiness  that 
so  cling  to  us,  our  eyes  anointed  with  His  eye-salve,  that 
we  may  see ! 


THE  THRONE  IN  HEAVEN. 

(Rev.  iv  1-3.) 

WE  come,  then,  to  our  theme,  the  book  of  Revelation. 
Our  glance  at  prophecy  has  been  for  the  purpose 
of  putting  this  last  and  fullest  of  all  in  connection 
with  the  earlier  ones,  that  we  might  not  rnake  it  of 
''private  interpretation."  And  when  we  come  so  to  con-« 
nect  it,  we  find  unmistakable  evidence  that  a  large  partj 
of  the  book  is  occupied  with  that  predicted  last  week  of  j 
Daniel,  the  events  of  which  we  have  been  considering. 
That  the  last  "beast"  of  Daniel  appears  again  in  Rev.  : 
xiii.  and  xvii.  is  acknowledged,  and  must  be,  by  all.  But  i 
there  is  noticed  as  to  it  here,  what  history  has  made  plain 
to  us,  that  it  was  not  to  continue  without  interruption 
from  its  first  commencement  to  its  overthrow.  It  was  to 
have  its  period  of  non-existence,  and  then  come  up  again 
in  greatly  altered  character  as  "from  the  bottomless  pit." 
This  is  the  blasphemous  form  in  which  we  have  seen  it  to 
end  at  the  coming  of  the  Lord  ;  and  the  exact  time  of  its 
prevalence  in  this  way  is  given  us  as  in  Daniel — "forty 
and  two  months,"  or  three  years  and  a  half  (chap.  xiii.  5). 
And  again  and  again  this  period  confronts  us.  In  the 
eleventh  chapter,  we  find  it  as  the  time  of  sackcloth  tes- 
timony of  the  two  witnesses;  in  the  twelfth  chapter,  stated 
as  in  Daniel,  as  "time,  times,  and  a  half,"  and  again  as  "a 
thousand,  two  hundred,  and  threescore  days,"  as  that  of 
the  woman's  nourishment  in  the  wilderness  from  the  face 
of  the  serpent.  Much  before  this  also  we  hear  of  an  im- 
mense company  of  Gentiles  as  "come  out  of  the  great 
tribulation"  (chap.  vii.  14,  J?.V.) — quite  evidently  that 
spoken  of  in  Daniel  and  in  Matthew,  the  only  one  that 
could  be,  in  view  of  what  is  said  there,  announced  as  "/>^<? 
great"  one.     Thus  from  the  seventh  to  the  seventeenth 


22  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

chapters  the  last  of  the  seventy  weeks  is  clearly  before  us. 
But  this  implies,  as  we  have  seen,  much.  It  shows  that 
when  this  large  portion  of  Revelation  shall  be  fulfilled, 
the  Christian  dispensation  will  have  passed  away,  Chris- 
tians will  be  forever  with  the  Lord,  and  the  earthly  people 
will  be  again  those  owned  of  Him,  whatever  the  sorrows 
they  may  have  yet  to  pass  through,  before  their  full 
blessing  comes. 

The  appearing  of  the  Lord  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  we 
find  only  in  the  nineteenth  chapter,  but  then  (as  the 
apostle  says,)  "we  shall  appear  with  Him  in  glory"  (Col. 
iii.  4).  Our  removal  from  the  earth  will  therefore  neces- 
sarily have  taken  place  before  :  and  thus  he  writes  to  the 
Thessalonians,  that  "the  Lord  shall  descend  from  heaven 
with  a  shout,  with  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and  with  the 
trump  of  God  :  and  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first ; 
then  we  which  are  alive  and  remain  shall  be  caught  up  to- 
gether with  them  in  the  clouds  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air; 
and  so  shall  we  be  ever  with  the  Lord"  (i  Thess.  iv.  16,17). 

Here  it  is  plain  how  "those  that  sleep  in  Jesus  God 
will  bring  with  Him."  There  is  no  promiscuous  resurrec- 
tion of  the  dead;  there  is  no  picking  out  by  judgment  of 
sheep  from  goats,  such  as  the  twenty-fifth  of  Matthew 
very  plainly  teaches  will  take  place  when  the  Son  of  Man 
comes  in  His  glory  and  be  sitting  on  the  throne  of  His 
glory.  Here,  on  the  contrary,  we  find  but  one  company 
of  raised  and  glorified  saints  caught  up  to  meet  and  be 
with  Him.  Scripture  is  clear  as  to  this  blessed  fact,  which 
in  itself  affirms  and  emphasizes  the  gospel  assurance  that 
those  who  have  Christ's  word,  and  believe  on  Him  who 
sent  Him,  shall  not  come  into  judgment.  (Jno.  v.  24,  R.  V.) 
This  is,  by  such  a  text,  made  clear  and  certain  enough. 

But  from  this  no  one  would  understand  that  between 
this  gathering  up  of  the  saints  to  meet  the  Lord  and  His 
appearing  in  glory  with  them  there  should  be  an  interval 
of  months  and  years  of  earthly  history.  Nor  can  one  be 
blamed,  therefore,  for  being  slow  to  assent  to  such  a  state- 


THE    THRONE    IN    HEAVEN.  2^ 

ment  as  this.  Yet  it  is  the  truth  ;  and  one  which  can  be', 
perfectly  well  established  from  Scripture,  although  there: 
is  no  single  text  which  states  it.  And  here  is  the  place  to^ 
give  this  some  final  consideration. 

We  have  seen  elsewhere  that  as  the  Old  Testament  ends» 
with  the  promise  of  the  *^Sun  of  Righteousness,"  so  the 
New  Testament  ends  with  that  of  the  ''Morning  Star." 
Christ  Himself  is  both,  and  m  both  His  coming  is  inti-  ^ 
mated,  but,  as  is  plain,  in  very  different  connections. 
The  sun  brings  the  day,  flooding  the  earth  with  light,  and 
this  is  in  suited  connection  with  the  blessing  of  an  earthly 
people,  whose  the  Old-Testament  promises  are  (Rom,ix.4). 
The  morning-star  heralds  the  day,  but  does  not  bring  it : 
it  rises  when  the  earth  is  still  dark,  shining  as  it  were  for 
heaven  alone.  And  this  to  us  speaks  of  our  being  with 
Christ  before^ the  blessing  for  the  earth  comes. 

In  the  promise  to  Philadelphia  also  we  find  the  assur- 
ance, "  Because  thou  hast  kept  the  word  of  My  patience, 
I  will  also  keep  thee  out  of  the  hour  of  temptation,  which 
shall  come  upon  all  the  world,  to  try  them  that  dwell  upon 
the  earth."  Here,  out  of  a  universal  hour  of  trial  some 
saints  at  least  are  to  be  kept.  How  simply  explicable 
this  in  their  being  taken  out  of  the  world  to  be  with  their 
Lord  before  the  hour  commences  !  how  difficult  to  under- 
stand in  any  other  way ! 

Accordingly,  in  those  pictures  of  the  world's  trial  which 
we  have  had  before  us,  we  have  had  no  trace  of  the  pres- 
ence of  Christians.  All,  as  we  have  seen,  speaks  of  Jews 
and  Judaism  as  once  more  recognized, — a  thing  incon- 
sistent with  the  existence  of  Christians  and  Christianity  at 
the  same  time.  As  long  as  the  present  gospel  goes  out, 
"they  are  enemies  for  your  sakes."  (Rom.  xi.  28.) 

So  also  the  antichristian  snare,  in  the  form  it  assumes, 
shows  the  same  thing.  Christ  is  looked  for  in  the  desert, 
or  in  the  secret  chambers,  as  appearing  not  from  heaven, 
but  in  the  midst  of  the  people;  and  the  false  Christ,  when 
he  comes,  sits  with  divine  honors  in  the  temple  of  God. 


24  ^'THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

Explicitly  is  it  stated  also  in  Isa.  Ix.,  that  when  the  Lord 
arises  upon  Israel,  and  His  glory  is  seen  upon  them, 
^''darkness  shall  cover  the  earth,  and  gross  darkness  the 
peoples,"  a  thing  impossible  if  Christianity  existed  at  the 
same  time,  yet  perfectly  plain  in  what  we  have  been  look- 
ing at.  Indeed,  the  difficulty  with  these  passages  has 
been  to  realize  the  fact  of  such  darkness  as  succeeding  the 
present  day  of  gospel  light. 

Again,  the  important  scene  in  Matt,  xxv.,  so  miscon- 
ceived by  most  interpreters  even  now,  and  for  centuries 
taken  as  a  picture  of  the  general  judgment,  becomes  thus 
perfectly  intelligible,  as  it  is  only  consistent  with  this 
view.  It  is  the  judgment  of  the  living  upon  earth,  after 
the  Lord  has  come  and  set  up  His  throne  here;  and  the 
passage  in  Thessalonians,  cited  but  a  while  ago,  makes  it 
absolutely  certain  that  Christians  will  not  be  among  the 
nations  upon  earth  then.  The  dead  are  not  in  question 
either.  There  is  no  hint  of  resurrection,  and  they  have 
their  separate  judgment,  at  the  end  of  the  thousand  years 
of  blessing,  when  the  earth  and  the  heavens  flee  away 
from  before  the  face  of  Him  that  sits  upon  the  throne 
(Rev.  XX.  12). 

But  if  the  Lord  called  up  the  saints  to  meet  Him  in  the 

,   air,  and  then  immediately  came  on  to  the  judgment  of 

!    the  earth,  there  could  be  no  "sheep"  to    put    upon  His 

right  hand.    Universal  judgment  alone  could  follow.  The 

fact  of  an  interval  between  these  two,  such  as  we  have 

been  considering,  at  once  clears  the  whole  difficulty. 

But  the  most  convincing  proofs  of  such  an  interval  we 
find  in  the  chapters  that  are  now  to  engage  our  attention. 
Coming  as  they  do  between  the  history  of  the  dispensation 
with  which  the  addresses  to  the  churches  have  already 
made  us  familiar,  and  the  prophecies  of  the  last  week  of 
Daniel,  which  follow  so  promptly  and  occupy  so  much 
space  in  the  latter  portion  of  the  book.  All  through  the 
later  addresses  the  announcement  of  the  Lord's  coming 
sounds  with  more  and  more  urgency.    In  Thyatira,  for  the 


THE    THRONE    IN    HEAVEN.  2^ 

first  time,  they  are  exiiorted,  "Hold  fast  till  I  come."  In  ^ 
Sardis,  He  is  coming  upon  them  as  a  thief,  and  they  shall 
not  know  what  hour  He  comes  upon  them.  In  Philadel- 
phia, it  is  now,  "I  come  quickly''  And  finally,  Laodicea 
is  ready  to  be  spued  out  of  His  mouth,  the  last  individual 
appeal  being  given,  when  the  church  as  a  whole  has  now 
rejected  Him.  In  the  fourth  chapter,  the  "things  that 
shall  be  after  these"  begin,  and  the  apostle  is  at  once 
caught  up  to  heaven. 

But  we  are  now  to  proceed  more  leisurely.  In  so 
precious  and  wonderful  a  communication  of  divine  grace 
we  would  gladly  ponder  every  word,  and  allow  nothing  to 
escape  us.  But  we  are  absolutely  dependent  upon  the 
Spirit  of  God  for  aid,  lest,  after  all,  the  very  essence  of 
them  be  lost.  The  various  and  contradictory  interpreta- 
tions that  they  have  received  may  well  teach  us  self-distrust, 
but  not  shake  our  confidence,  that  in  proportion  to  our 
real  simplicity  and  real  desire  to  be  taught  of  God,  His 
truth  will  be  discovered  to  us.  He  that  seeks  shall  find. 
He  will  not  for  bread  give  us  a  stone,  nor  for  a  fish  a 
serpent. 

The  "things  that  are"  have  come  to  an  end.  The  voice 
that  spake  on  earth  is  silent,  but  presently  resumes  from 
heaven.  "After  these  things,  I  saw,  and,  behold,  a  door 
opened  in  heaven,  and  the  first  voice  which  I  heard,  as  of 
a  trumpet  speaking  with  me,  saying,  *  Come  up  hither,  and 
I  will  show  thee  things  which  must  come  to  pass  after 
these.'  " 

Both  the  Common  and  the  Revised  Version  have  "here- 
after."   But  this  is  vague.     It  would  allow  the  prophecy 
that  follows  to  be,  after  all,  contemporaneous  in  its  fulfill- 
ment with  that  of  the  addresses  just  completed.     But  the 
words  are  definite,  and  allow   of  no  such  idea.     In  the» 
first  chapter,  the  apostle  had  been  bidden  to  "write  the' 
things  which  thou  hast  seen,  and  the  things  which  shall  be  j 
after  these  ; "  and  now  he  is  reminded  that  he  is  come  to  .♦ 
this  distinct  division  of  his  prophecy — "the  things  which 


26  '' THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

must  come  to  pass  after  these."  The  prophecy  is  orderly 
and  successive,  at  least  thus  far. 

Looking  at  the  addresses  to  the  churches,  therefore,  as 
depicting  the  phases  of  the  professing  church  during  the 
present  dispensation,  the  meaning  of  the  words  would  be, 
"  The  things  which  must  come  to  pass  after  the  history  of 
the  Church  is  ended.''  If,  then,  such  an  interpretation  of 
the  two  previous  chapters  is  correct,  the  time  we  have 
reached  is  clearly  enough  defined.  And  how  significant, 
at  this  point,  the  translation  of  the  seer  from  earth  to 
heaven  !  The  voice  with  its  trumpet-call  is  the  first  voice 
which  he  had  heard — the  voice  of  Jesus.  No  longer  oc- 
cupied with  His  lamps  of  testimony  upon  earth,  He  calls 
His  servant  up  to  Himself  above. 

And  "immediately,"  he  says,  "I  became  in  the  Spirit." 
The  distinctness  of  the  new  beginning  is  evident.  Just 
so  had  he  been,  rapt  in  this  ecstatic  state,  when  he  had 
had  the  former  vision.  It  had  not  continued  throughout, 
but  now  began  afresh,  his  whole  being  absorbed  in  that 
which  the  Spirit  of  God  communicated.  He  is,  as  it  were, 
not  in  the  body,  as  another  apostle  says  of  visions  that  he 
had  received,  that  whether  he  was  in  the  body  or  out  of 
the  body,  he  could  not  tell.  (2  Cor.  xii.  2):  the  Spirit  of 
God  was,  so  to  speak,  eyes  and  ears  and  all  else  to  him. 

And  now  by  the  Spirit  he  is  rapt  into  heaven, — a  new 
thing  for  a  prophet,  and  as  such,  exceptional  to  John  alone. 
Doubtless  the  heavens  had  opened  before,  even  in  Old- 
Testament  times,  though  with  reserve,  and  never  to  invite 
an  entrance.  Enoch,  and  afterward  Elijah,  had  been 
taken  there  indeed,  and  comfort  and  blessing  it  was  to 
know  this.  Still  this  was  not  an  opening  of  it  to  men  on 
earth.  Heavenly  visitants  had  appeared  too  among  men, 
but  they  had  no  disclosures  to  make  of  the  unseen  sanc- 
tuary from  which  they  came.  Even  in  Job  one  might 
read  also  how  the  "sons  of  God  came  to  present  them- 
selves before  the  Lord,  and  Satan  came  also  among 
them."     And  Micaiah  at  a  much  later  day  could  say,  "I 


THE    THRONE    IN    HEAVEN.  27 

saw  the  Lord  sitting  on  His  throne,  and  all  the  host  of 
heaven  standing  by  Him,  on  His  right  hand  and  on  His 
left."  Ezekiel,  moreover,  after  this,  that  "the  heavens 
were  opened,  and  I  saw  visions  of  God."  All  this  be- 
tokened, indeed,  heaven's  interest  in  earth,  but  it  only 
serves  to  make  evident  the  contrast  with  what  we  find 
here — a  witness  taken  into  heaven  to  bear  testimony  of 
what  he  found  there. 

The  opening  of  the  heavens  is  characteristic  of  New- 
Testament  times.  At  the  outset,  the  heavens  are  indeed, 
in  the  truest  sense,  opened  when  the  Son  of  God  lies  in 
the  manger  of  Bethlehem.  And  as  He  who  reveals  the 
Father  is  revealed,  we  are  brought  into  com.munion  with 
what  spiritually  constitutes  heaven — with  the  Father  and  the 
Son.  At  the  Lord's  death,  the  vail  of  the  sanctuary  is  rent 
asunder  for  us,  and  when  He  has  ascended  up,  our  Repre- 
sentative and  Forerunner,  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  dov;n 
becomes  in  us  the  witness  and  earnest  of  heavenly  things. 

But  the  earnest  shows  that  we  have  not  yet  possession, 
which  John  anticipatively  brings  us  into.  Paul  also  had 
been  caught  up  into  the  third  heaven — into  paradise — and 
heard  unspeakable  things,  which  it  is  not  lawful  for  a  man 
to  utter.  (2  Cor.  xii.  4.)  But  John  finds  utterance  :  he 
carries  his  writer's  inkhorn  into  heaven,  and  reports  what 
it  was  he  saw  there.  He  is  bidden  "Write,"  lest  in  his 
entrancement  he  should  forget  it.  And  how  has  the  power 
of  these  communications  been  felt  by  those  who  have  be- 
come heirs  since  to  what  has  been  thus  written !  Even  those 
that  have  known  least,  have  they  not  felt  much  ?  And  how 
much  more,  then,  should  flow  from  deeper  knowledge  ! 

But  then  the  character  of  this  prophecy  before  us,  in 
the  very  charm  of  its  face-to-face  vision,  may  assure  us  of 
what  it  speaks  of  and  anticipates.  It  is  our  own  call  home 
this  call  of  !he  prophet  up  to  heaven,  and  how  well  it  may 
thrill  our  hearts  and  gladden  them  as  we  listen  to  it ! 

Enter,  then  !  Heaven  is  before  us.  Enter  !  It  is  the 
sanctuary.    Not  speculation  do  we  seek,  but  enjoyment — 


28  ''thIngs  that  shall  be." 

holy  and  hallowing  enjoyment.  Not  a  thing  here  forbid- 
den to  us,  and  not  a  thing  upon  which  the  lusts  of  the 
flesh  can  fasten  !  To  breathe  this  pure  air,  is  to  live 
indeed.  To  abide  here  is  to  make  all  the  world  can 
proffer  an  unmeaning  emptiness,  to  brighten  the  dullest 
heart  into  glory,  and  make  the  tongue  of  the  dumb  to  sing 
for  joy. 

Heaven!  And  the  first  thing  the  apostle  sees  is  *'a 
throne,"  and  "One  sitting  on  the  throne." 

It  is  the  first  necessity  for  all  blessing,  for,  all  stability, 
for  all  rest  of  heart.  It  is  the  assurance  of  order,  of 
peace,  of  concord,  of  congruity  :  over  all,  a  real,  personal, 
living,  and  sovereign  God.  Not  a  democracy,  but  an 
absolutism;  not  laws  which  execute  themselves,  but  the 
will  of  the  All-wise,  All-holy  :  fixed  rule  in  free  hands.  It 
is  this  that  sin  would  have  overturned,  and  which  has 
proved  itself  impossible  to  be  overturned;  whose  eternity 
alone  insures  the  absolute  security  of  all  else.  Well  may 
all  crowns  be  cast  before  this  throne,  by  which  all  are 
sustained  and  served.  The  sovereignty  of  God  is  surely 
the  joy  and  triumph  of  every  redeemed  soul. 

He  who  sits  upon  the  throne  is  not  and  cannot  be 
pictured,  and  the  jasper  and  sardine  stone  to  which  He  is 
compared  have  as  yet  yielded  but  little  to  the  interpreter. 
As  jewels,  like  those  of  the  high-priest's  breastplate,  they 
represent,  no  doubt,  the  "Lights  and  Perfections"  (Urim 
and  Thummim)  of  God,  unchanging,  but  seen,  not  in  the 
inapproachable  light  itself,  but  in  manifestations  such  as 
can  be  given  to  His  creatures,  and  which  display  to  them 
a  various  beauty  they  could  not  otherwise  enjoy.  "  God 
is  light,"  and  the  ''Father  of  lights''  The  one  colorless 
beam,  broken  up  into  the  various  colored  prismatic  rays, 
clothes  the  whole  earth  with  its  beauty.  And  the  precious 
stones  enshrine  and  crystallize  these  various  rays. 

If  the  "jasper"  here  be  rather  the  diamond^  as  many 
believe,  then  there  does  seem  to  be  in  it  a  most  appropri- 
ate thought,  and  one  it  is  hard  to  give  up  after  having 


THE    THRONE    IN    HEAVEN.  29 

received  it.  The  diamond  is  the  brightest  of  gems,  the 
nearest  to  the  pure  ray  of  light  in  its  lustre,  the  most 
indestructible  in  character, — eminently  fitted  (as  one 
might  think)  to  be  a  symbol  of  the  glory  of  Deity.  But 
these  are  not  its  chief  points  of  significance  after  all.  The 
diamond  is,  as  every  one  knows,  but  crystallized  carbon, 
which  we  find  in  a  pure  form.as  graphite,  the  black-lead 
of  our  pencils.  Carbon  exists  in  these  so  opposite  condi- 
tions, the  symbol  of  divine  glory  (as  it  might  be)  on  the 
one  hand  might  on  the  other  be  that  of  evil  and  ruin  and 
sin.  And  has  not  divine  grace  wrought  in  the  trans- 
formation of  our  ruined  humanity  into  the  brightest 
display  of  divine  glory?  And  could  there  be  any  thing 
of  which  we  could  be  more  fitly  reminded  here?* 

God  has  forever  displayed  Himself  in  Christ,  His  per- 
fect and  glorious  manifestation.  He  is  "the  effulgence  of 
His  glory,  the  express  image  of  His  substance."  (Heb.  i.  3.) 
It  is  not  meant  by  that,  what  some  have  argued  from  it,  that 
we  shall  see  the  Father  only  in  Him.  Scripture  speaks  of 
those  who  "  in  heaven  always  behold  the  face  of  the 
Father  who  is  in  heaven."  (Matt,  xviii.  10.)  But  the 
cross  will  not  on  that  account  lose  its  significance,  nor  the 
glory  of  the  incarnate  Son  be  the  less  needful  for  us. 

And  when  we  look  on  to  the  end  of  the  book,  and  see 
the  ''city  which  hath  foundations"  in  her  eternal  beauty, 
not  only  do  we  find  the  jasper  as  the  first  of  these  founda- 
tions, but  the  light — the  lustre — of  the  city  also  is  *'  like 
unto  a  stone  most  precious,  as  it  were  a  jasper  stone, 
clear  as  crystal."  (xxi.  11.) 

This  is  at  least  all  perfectly  consistent.  Its  consistency 
and  beauty  may  well  plead  for  its  acceptance  by  us,  until, 
at  least,  something  that  more  commends  itself  can  be 
produced. 

♦Carbon  is  also  the  element  characteristic  of  all  organic  products;  so 
that  organic  chemistry  has  been  called  "  the  chemistry  of  the  carbon  com- 
pounds." It  is  thus  connected  with  living  forms,  whether  vegetable 
or  animal.  And  I  add,  though  this  be  a  distinct  thought,  that  crys- 
tallization is,  as  it  were,  the  organization  of  the  mineral. 


30  "things  that  shall  be.' 

The  ''sardine  stone,"  or  rather  "sardius,"  is  our  carne- 
lian,  a  stone  much  prized  by  the  lapidary,  and  especially 
in  the  east,  its  most  valued  form  being  an  unmixed  bright 
red.  The  association  with  the  jasper  or  diamond  would 
suggest  an  association  of  thought;  the  diamond  flashing 
with  the  red  hues  of  the  carnelian  would  necessitate 
almost  the  idea  of  the  cross.  Incarnation  and  redemp- 
tion unite  to  make  known  the  sovereign  God. 

It  is  not  an  objection,  I  believe,  that  in  the  next  chapter 
we  find  explicitly  the  Lamb  slain.  The  connection  there 
is  different,  and  God  is  never  weary  of  Christ.  Here  it  is 
the  One  upon  the  throne  who  is  declared;  and  apart  from 
Christ  He  could  not  be  declared  to  us.  The  full  radiance 
of  divine  glory  are  thus  in  the  jasper  and  the  sardine 
stone,  or,  as  we  have  taken  them  to  be,  the  diamond  and 
the  carnelian.  The  connection  of  the  two  throws  light 
upon  each,  and  the  truth  of  its  interpretation  must  rest  on 
its  verisimilitude. 

Thus  the  One  who  sits  upon  the  throne  is  declared 
to  us.  It  is  the  "  God  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  perfectly 
known  and  alone  revealed  in  Him.  The  throne  is  His 
throne;  the  supreme  will  and  power  are  His:  and  this  is 
what  makes  us  delight  in  that  supremacy.  Absolute 
in  power  and  control,  there  is  no  mere  arbitrary  will 
in  Him.  Omnipotence  never  acts  but  with  omniscient 
wisdom,  perfect  righteousness,  holiness,  and  love.  His 
pleasure  is  good  pleasure  :  "  Worthy  art  Thou,  O  Lord," 
is  the  adoring  cry  of  the  hosts  of  heaven. 

The  One  who  sits  upon  the  throne  is  disclosed  and 
characterized  for  our  hearts  before  the  throne  is.  And 
when  we  come  now  to  the  throne  itself,  we  find  as  the  first 
thing,  what  is  addressed  to  our  hearts  no  less,  ''a  rainbow 
round  about  the  throne,  in  sight  like  unto  an  emerald." 
The  natural  and  historical  associations  here  are  full  of 
precious  suggestions. 

The  bow  we  all  know  as  the  token  of  God's  covenant  with 
the  earth,  and  with  every  creature  in  it.      The  flood  had 


THE    THRONE    IN    HEAVEN.  3 1 

just  passed  over  the  earth  and  desolated  it,  and  now  the 
sun  was  shining  out  in  the  retreating  storm  of  judgment. 
God  declares  He  will  no  more  destroy,  as  He  had  destro3-ed. 
If  He  bring  a  cloud,  it  shall  be  for  purification  and  bless- 
ing, not  any  more  "a  flood  to  destroy  all  flesh." 

Where  we  see  it  now,  the  bow  is  used  symbolically,  of 
course,  and  therefore  with  a  wider,  deeper  meaning.  It 
is  still  of  the  earth  it  speaks,  where  alone  storms  are 
purificatory  and  for  blessing;  but  these  are  no  longer 
merely  natural.  It  is  not  limited  to  this  or  that  divine  act, 
but  characterizes  the  throne  in  its  general  action.  Bless- 
ing for  men,  and  rest  of  which  the  emerald  speaks,  with 
the  suggestion  of  the  springing  grass  after  the  rain,  are  to 
be  accomplished; -even  the  judgment  maybe  the  necessary 
means  of  their  accomplishment.  And  in  this,  too,  God 
will  manifest  Himself  in  the  glory  of  the  light  which  He  is, 
as  the  prismatic  colors  of  the  bow  symbolically  display  it. 

To  those  who  realize  the  character  of  the  period 
which  follows  the  present  one,  nothing  could  be  plainer 
than  the  language  of  this  bow-encircled  throne.  God 
is  now  calling  out  for  heaven  the  objects  of  His  grace. 
And  while  He  is  doing  this,  the  fulfillment  of  His  prom- 
ises as  to  the  earth  is  suspended;  the  earthly  people  are 
set  aside:  it  might  seem  as  if  He  had  forgotten  that  which 
fills  the  pages  of  the  Old-Testament  prophets.  So  much 
so,  that  as  if  in  despair  of  their  accomplishment,  men 
would  turn  them  all  into  figures  of  other  things.  The 
knowledge  of  dispensational  truth,  so  little  regarded  even 
yet  by  most  Christians,  relieves  the  whole  difficulty,  and 
puts  every  thing  into  its  own  place.  Ours  is  a  heavenly 
calling;  ours  are  "all  spiritual  blessings  in  heavenly  places 
in  Christ  Jesus."  (Eph.  i.  3.)  When  we  are,  according  to 
His  promise,  gathered  up  to  Him,  then  the  Old-Testament 
promises  will  be  fulfilled  to  Israel,  to  whom  they  belong 
(Rom.  ix.  4),  and  the  predicted  time  will  come  when  the 
"earth  shall  be  filled  with  the  knowledge  of  the  glory 
of  the  Lord  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea."  (Heb.  ii.  14.) 


32  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

For  this  the  ''sons  of  God,"  now  in  suffering  and 
sorrow,  must  be  revealed  in  glory  when  Christ  our  life 
shall  appear,  and  we  shall  appear  with  Him  in  glory. 
"  The  earnest  expectation  of  the  creature  waiteth  for  the 
revealing  of  the  sons  of  God.  For  the  creation  was 
subjected  to  vanity,  not  of  its  own  will,  but  by  reason 
of  Him  who  subjected  it,  in  hope  that  the  creation  should 
itself  also  be  delivered  from  the  bondage  of  corruption 
into  the  liberty  of  the  glory  of  the  children  of  God." 
(Rom.  viii.  19-21,  R.  V.) 

The  bow  of  promise  for  creation,  girdling  the  throne  of 
God  in  heaven,  speaks,  then,  of  God's  covenant  with  the 
earth  remembered  in  a  way  which  goes  far  beyond  the 
letter  of  it.  He  is  going  now  to  bring  it  into  perpetuity  of 
blessing  through  another  judgment,  in  which  His  glory 
will  be  displayed  in  a  peculiar  way.  It  will  soon  be  said 
among  the  nations  that  the  Lord  reigneth,  and  the  world 
be  established  that  it  cannot  be  moved.  "  Let  the  heavens 
be  glad,  and  let  the  earth  rejoice;  let  the  sea  roar,  and  the 
fullness  thereof.  Let  the  field  exult,  and  all  that  is  therein; 
then  shall  all  the  trees  of  the  wood  sing  for  joy  before  the 
Lord:  for  He  cometh,  for  He  cometh  to  judge  the  earth; 
He  shall  judge  the  world  with  righteousness,  and  the 
peoples  with  His  truth."  (Ps.  xcvi.  10-13.) 

Thrones  Around  the  Throne.  (Chap.  iv.  4.) 

This  rainbow-girdled  throne  is  a  throne  of  judgment : 
"Out  of  the  throne  proceeded  lightnings  and  voices 
and  thunders."  Mercy  may  and  does  restrain  judg- 
ment within  fixed  limits,  or  use  it  sovereignly  to  fulfill 
purposes  of  widest,  deepest  blessing.  None  the  less  is  it 
plain  that  the  "throne  of  grace,"  to  which  it  is  the  part  of 
faith  now  to  "come  boldly,  that  we  may  obtain  mercy, 
and  find  grace  to  help  in  time  of  need,"  is  not  here  before 
us.  Even  the  bow  of  promise  itself  speaks  of  a  "  cloud 
over  the  earth,"  which  might  seem  to  threaten  ruin  as  by 


THRONES  AROUND  THE  THRONE. 


another  deluge.     The  promise  to  Philadelphia  warned  of 
an  "hour  of  trial"  which  was  to  "come  upon  the  whole 
world,  to  try  them  that  dwell  upon  the  earth,"  while  it 
assured  the  overcomers  there  that  the  Lord  would  keep 
them  out  of  this.   And  now  before  the  lightnings  are  seenf 
to  issue  from  the  throne,  before  the  peal    of   judgment- 
startles  the  world  from  its  security,  we  find  "  round  about 
the  throne  four  and  twenty  elders  sitting,  clothed  in  white 
raiment,  and  on  their  heads  crowns  of  gold."    The  prom-; 
ise  has   been  fulfilled,  and  the    "kings  and  priests"  oft 
God  are  around  the  throne  of  God. 

That  these  are  "  thrones,"  not  seats  merely  as  in  the 
common  version,  is  not  contested,  so  far  as  I  know,  by 
any  one.     That  they  are  men,  not  angels,*  who  sit  upon 
them,  should   be   plain  by  many  considerations.     Their  f 
very  title  of  "elders"  speaks  for  it,  and  in  Israel  these  t\H 
were  the  representatives  and  rulers  of  the  people.     Their- 
number,  twenty-four,  if  to  be  illustrated  by  any  thing  in  f-Vr^ 
Scripture,  can  only  be  referred  to  the  twenty-four  courses; 
into  which  David  divided  the  priesthood.      And  this  re!f-»    \»*^ 
erence  is  confirmed  by  the  priestly  actions  of  these  elders '     I^t*- 
in  the  next  chapter  (v.  8).     They  are  crowned  priests, — '  C' 
"kings  and  priests," — the  "royal  priesthood"  of  which 
Peter  speaks  (i  Pet.  ii.  9).     And  when  they  act  in  that 
capacity,  the  angels  stand  in  a  separate  company  outsider 
of  them  (v.  11). 

They  are  therefore  saints,  not  angels,  as  the  general  con-, 
sent  of  interpreters  acknowledges.  There  are  "thrones" 
indeed  among  angelic  powers,  but  no  priests  :  for  priest- 
hood speaks  of  mediation  and  of  sin  which  requires  it, 
and  no  provision  of  this  kind  is  needed  by  the  holy  or 
exists  in  behalf  of  the  fallen  angels.    No  doubt  the  angel- 

*E.  H.  Bickersteth,  the  author  of  "Yesterday,  To-day,  and  Forever," 
and  Di\  Craven,  American  editor  of  Lange's  Commentary  on  Revelation, 
are  among  those  who  advocate  the  angelic  interpretation  in  the  present 
day.  The  arguments  of  the  latter  are  based  entirely  on  the  confusion  of 
the  multitudes  of  the  redeemed  in  chaps,  vii.  and  xiv.  vv^ith  the  heavenly 
saints  of  the  present  and  the  past  dispensations. 


34  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

priest  of  the  eighth  chapter  will  be  urged  by  some,  but 
here  it  is  in  behalf  of  men  he  offers,  and  there  is  but  One 
to  whom  it  belongs  to  add  to  the  prayers  of  the  saints 
that  which  gives  them  efficacy.  Christ,  therefore,  though 
presented  in  a  mysterious  manner,  must  be  the  Priest  in 
this  case.  Nowhere  else  in  Scripture  is  there  the  most 
distant  thought  of  angelic  priesthood. 

But  if  the  elders  are  saints,  how  are  they  represented  to 
us  in  this  picture?  Not,  plainly,  as  departed  spirits,  but  as 
glorified  beings,  raised  or  changed,  and  evermore  beyond 
the  power  of  death.  Not  till  Christ  gets  His  human  throne 
do  His  people  get  theirs  (chap.  iii.  21).  All  rewards 
proper  wait  till  the  day  when  we  shall  stand  before  the 
judgment-seat  of  Christ,  and  receive  for  the  things  done 
in  the  body  (2  Cor.  v.  10).  Thus  it  is  clear  that  the  scene 
at  which  we  are  looking  supposes  resurrection  come,  and 
the  voice  of  the  Lord  to  have  called  us  to  Himself.  Thus 
alone  could  the  thrones  around  the  throne  be  filled. 

For  the  same  reason  we  cannot  conceive  of  any  repre- 
sentation here  of  the  position  of  Christians  as  now  known 
to  and  enjoyed  by  faith.  We  are  indeed  "  raised  up  to- 
gether, and  seated  together  in  the  heavenly  places  in 
Christ  Jesus"  (Eph.  ii.  6);  but  this  is  a  question  of 
acceptance,  not  of  reigning.  Christ  reigns,  it  is  true,  but 
in  no  wise  has  He  taken  that  place  as  our  representative. 
Seated  upon  the  Father's  throne,  we  are  not  seated  in 
Him,  nor  ever  shall  be  with  Him  there.  Thus  such  a 
thought  is, absolutely  forbidden  to  us,  as  that  of  a  posi- 
tional application  of  the  vision  before  us. 

More  plausible  would  be  the  thought  of  anticipation, — a 
pledge  and  assurance  for  our  encouragement  of  what  is  to 
be  only  at  the  end  enjoyed.  Such  anticipations  there  are  in 
the  book  before  us.  The  multitude  out  of  all  nations,  who 
are  seen  in  the  seventh  chapter  as  already  "come  out  of 
the  great  tribulation,"  present  us,  in  fact,  with  such  an 
anticipatory  vision.  The  woman  of  the  twelfth,  clothed 
with  the  glory  of  the  sun,  is  in  some  such  features  sim- 


THRONES  AROUND  THE  THRONE.  35 

ilarly  anticipative.  Thus  the  principle  is  one  we  cannot 
refuse,  and  which  might  apply  in  this  case.  We  have  only 
to  ask,  Is  there  any  thing  which  in  fact  would  prevent  our 
so  applying  it  ? 

Now,  if  we  look  at  the  white-robed  multitude  of  the 
seventh  chapter,  which  is  the  nearest  in  resemblance  to 
the  vision  of  the  elders,  if  the  latter  be  anticipative,  we 
find  one  very  marked  difference  between  the  two.  The' 
former  i§^k**^oHij3lete  whoje,  separated  from  the  other 
visions  which  surround  it,  and  not  an  integral  part  of  the 
prophetic  history.  It  forms  no  part  of  the  events  of  the 
sixth  seal,  as  it  plainly  forms  none  of  the  seventh,  but, 
with  its  kindred  vision  of  the  Jewish  remnant  sealed,  is 
inserted  parenthetically  between  them.  It  interprets  the 
course  of  the  history,  rather  than  forms  part  of  it;  and  here 
the  moral  purpose  of  the  interpretation  is  quite  evident. 

But  suppose  we  had  found,  on  the  contrary,  this  com- 
pany associated  with  the  course  of  the  prophecy  through- 
out; present  and  worshiping  when  the  Lamb  takes  the 
book;  interpreting  some  of  the  after-visions;  mentioned 
as  present  when  other  events  take  place :  should  we  not 
look  at  it  as  strange  and  incongruous  indeed  to  be  told 
that  it  had  no  existence  as  such  during  this  very  time  ? 
that  it  was  only  anticipatively  brought  before  us, — an 
encouraging  vision,  not  an  actual  fact? 

Such  is  the  relation  of  the  elders  to  the  prophecy 
before  us  until  the  nineteenth  chapter  closes  with  the 
appearing  of  the  Lord.  They  sing  the  song  of  redemp- 
tion when  the  Lamb  takes  the  book  ;  they  interpret  as  to 
the  white-robed  multitude;  they  worship  again  when  the  \ 
seventh  trumpet  sounds;  in  their  presence  the  new  song 
is  sung  which  the  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand 
alone  can  learn;  and  when  Babylon  the  Great  is  judged, 
they  fall  down  once  more  before  the  throne,  saying, 
"Amen,  Halleluiah."  It  is  not  till  after  this  that  the 
Lord  appears. 

Thus  the  elders  in  heaven  are  no  transient  vision,  but  \ 


36  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE," 

I  an  abiding  reality  all  through  this  long  reach  of  prophecy. 

'■  We  must  accept  the  fact  of  glorified  saints  enthroned 

I  around  the  throne  of  God  from  the  commencement  of  the 

J  "things  that  shall  be."     With  this,  many  other  things  are 

i  implied  of  necessity.     The  descent  of  the  Lord  into  the 

i  air;  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  ;  the  change  of  the  living 

saints;  the  rejection  of  the  rest  of  the  (now  merely)  pro- 

i  fessing  church;  the  close  of  the  Christian  dispensation. 

I  All  this  we  have  already  found  in  Scripture  to  take  place 

{  before  the  incoming  "end  of  the  [Jewish]  age,"- — the  last 

week  of  Daniel's  seventy.     The    internal    evidence   hliT- 

monizes  completely  with  what  is  derived  from  the  general 

consent  of  prophecy,  in  proving  to  us  to  what  point  in  the 

;  dispensations  we  have  here  arrived. 

Daniel  had  long  before  this  spoken  of  thrones  around 

the  throne.   "  I  beheld,"  he  says,  "till  thrones  were  placed 

(^.    F.),  and    One    that  was  Ancient    of    days    did    sit " 

(chap.  vii.  9).      But  he  can  tell  us  nothing  more  as  to  the 

occupants   of  these  thrones.     The  earthly,   and   not  the 

heavenly  side  is  given  to  him  to  unfold.     John  not  only 

shows   us  the   occupants,   but   his  vision    antedates    that 

of  Daniel,  and  raises  the  thrones  themselves  to  a  higher 

elevation.     We  must  pass  on  to  the  twentieth  chapter  of 

I  this  book   to   find   the    scene   which    the   Old-Testament 

I  prophet  depicts,  and  there  the  character  of  rule  is  limited 

levery  way  both  as  to  time  and  place.     "  They  lived  and 

•reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years."     This  is  earthly 

;rule,  and  not  yet  the  new  earth;  but  it  is  just  as  plainly 

|said   of  Christ's  "servants"  in  the  New  Jerusalem,  "they 

jshall    reign  forever  and   ever."     Here   the   limitation    is 

gone,  and  the  heirs  of  God,  joint-heirs  with  Christ,  are 

ifully  manifested. 

The  idea  of  a  millennial  reign,  true  and  scriptural  as  it 
is,  tends  to  get  too  large  possession  of  the  thoughts  of 
those  often  styled  "millennarians,"  a  word  which  answers 
to  the  early  "  chiliasts," — both  derived  from  this  "thousand 
years "  of  rule.     And  these,  as  shown  in  Papias,  Justin, 


THRONES  AROUND  THE  THRONE. 


J/ 


and  Irenaeus,  conceived  of  it  in  a  Jewish  and  earthly 
fashion,  seriousl}^  conflicting  with  the  Christian's  heavenly 
hope.  To  this  Old-Testament  expectation  many  in  the 
present  day  have  swung  round  again,  and  we  cannot  too 
earnestly  protest  against  it. 

The  truth  is,  that  to  those  whose  hope  is  the  millen- 
nium, it  is  quite  natural  and  necessary  to  go  to  the  Old 
Testament  for  their  views  of  it.  But  then  they  are  in  the 
line  of  Jewish  promises,  and  an  appropriation  of  these  to 
a  greater  or  less  extent  is  to  be  looked  for.  This  is  the 
mode  in  which  have  been  produced  some  of  the  most 
heterodox  and  evil  systems  of  the  day. 

If  we  would  "rightly  divide  the  Word  of  God,"  it  can 
be  only  by  respecting  the  divisions  which  the  Word  itself 
has  established  for  us.  And  if  we  ask  ourselves,  What  has 
the  New  Testament  to  say  of  the  millennium?  for  how 
much  of  our  knowledge  of  it  are  we  indebted  to  its  pages? 
the  answer  will  be  impressive  and  should  be  enlightening. 

In  the  New  Testament  we  find,  first  of  all,  that  it  is  a"  Iv-'^ 
millenniu7n^ — that  is  to  say,  that  it  is  limited  as  a  period.  v>  y 
It  belongs  not  to  eternity.  It  precedes  the  "new  earth,  j'V^*' 
wherein  dwelleth  righteousness;"  closes  with  the  judg-ji  t»** 
ment  of  the  great  white  throne,  and  passing  away  of  j «  il  , 
present  things.  » 

It  is  not,  therefore,  as  so  often  represented.  Sabbath- 
rest,  but  only  the  last  day  of  man's  work-day  week,  the  last 
of  the  probationary  dispensations.  Its  true  type  is  the' 
sixth  day  of  the  creative  week  when  man  and  woman  are  ^^ 
put  at  the  head  of  earthly  government,  and  not  the  seventh 
day,  which  God  hallows  because  He  can  rest.  The  mer-' 
est  glance  at  Rev.  xx., — the  merest  reference  to  the  Old- 
Testament  prophet,  ought  to  make  this  so  plain  that  there 
should  be  no  need  to  spend  another  word  in  its  defense. 

But  what,  then,  must  be  the  effect  of  substituting  for 
what  is  everlasting  that  which  is  temporal  and  transient 
merely?  Certainly,  it  cannot  be  a  light  one.  With 
many,  it  has  perverted  the  whole  future  before  them,  and 


i 


38  "  THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE/' 

introduced  into  it  elements  destructive    to    Christianity. 
To  any,  it   must  be  hurtful,  just  in   proportion  to  their 
occupation   with   it.     For  the  truth  it   is  that   sanctifies. 
Error  demoralizes  and  despiritualizes.     How  much,  if  it 
touch  that  in  which  the  heart  is  called  to  rest,  as  it  were, 
looking  forward  and  entering  into  it  as  that  in  which  God 
shall  rest  eternally?     What  indeed  we  hope  for,  we  prac- 
tically reach  after,  and  are  controlled  and  fashioned  by  it. 
The   New  T-estament  speaks  of  the  binding  of   Satan 
during  these  thousand  years,  and  of  the  deliverance  of 
creation  from  the  bondage  of  corruption  into  the  liberty 
of  the  glory  of  the  children  of  God.     It  speaks  also — and 
this   is  the   positive   feature  which   it   adds  to   the    Old- 
Testament  picture, — of  the  reign  of  the  saints  with  Christ 
over  the  earth.      This  is  expressed  in  the  Lord's  promise 
to  the  apostles  that  they  should  "sit  upon  twelve  thrones, 
judging  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel"  (Matt.  xix.   28);  in 
the  authority  given  over  ten  or  over  five  cities  (Luke  xix. 
16-19);  in  the  promise  of  the  rod  of  iron  (Rev.  ii.  26,  27); 
and  of  sitting  with   the   Son  of    Man   upon    His  throne 
(iii.  21).     In  the  twentieth  chapter  of  this  book,  it  is  the 
one  thing  we  find  as  to  the  millennium  besides  the  fact  of 
its  being  such,  and  the  binding  of  Satan.     These  things  are 
I  significant.     The  New-Testament  blessings  are  "in  heav- 
!  enly  places  in  Christ   Jesus"  (Eph.  i.  3),  and  thus  the 
t  book  of  Revelation  adds   but  the  heavenly  side  to   the 
I  earthly  picture.     It  shows  us  beyond  the  judgment  of  the 
i  dead  the  new  heavens  and  earth,  and  the  tabernacle  of 
j  God  with  men;  and  then  the  prophecy  closes  with  the 
/  description  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  the  heavenly  city. 

The  millennial  rule,  characterized  by  the  rod  of  iron 
which  dashes  in  pieces  the  opposition  of  the  nations,  is  a 
special,  exceptional  kingdom  for  a  great  purpose,  which 
being  accomplished,  it  is  given  up.  Christ  sits  now  at  the 
»  rieht  hand  of  God  until  He  makes  His  foes  His  footstool; 
and  this  subjecting  of  His  enemies  goes  on  until  death, 
I  the  last  enemy,  is  subdued.     This  is  preparatory  to  the 


THE    LIVING    ONES.  39 

judgment  of  the  great  white  throne,  and  after  this  Christ] 
delivers  up  the  kingdom  to  the  Father,  that  God  may  be  J 
all  in  all  (i  Cor.  xv.  24-28). 

The  special  kingdom  closes,  but  this  does  not  and  can- , 
not  touch  the  blessed  truth  that  the  throne  in  the  heavenly  ^ 
city  remains,  past  all  changes,  the  "throne  of  God  and  of 
the  Latnb;"  nor  this,  that  "  His  servants  shall  serve  Him 
.  .  .  and  shall  reign  forever  and  ever."  The  thrones 
around  the  thr®ne  abide  forever.  The  joint-heirship  with 
Christ — wonder  of  divine  grace  as  it  is — on  that  very 
account  can  be  no  passing  thing.  The  rod  of  iron  passes 
away.  All  that  speaks  of  sin  as  present  passes  necessarily. 
The  glory  of  the  grace  remains.  '  In  the  ages  to  come  He 
will  show  the  exceeding  riches  of  His  grace  in  His  kind- 
ness toward  us  through  Christ  Jesus  (Eph.  ii.  7). 

The  Living  Ones.     (Chap.  iv.  5-1 1.) 

As  I  have  said,  the  character  of  the  throne  as  a  throne 
of  judgment  is  not  seen  until  the  saints  are  seen  upon 
their  thrones  around  it.  In  fact,  we  may  say,  it  does  not 
assume  this  character  until  they  are  there.  For  the 
"lightnings  and  voices  and  thunders"  which  now 
proceed  from  it  are  plainly  not  the  announcement  of  any 
special  judgment,  but  of  the  throne  as  a  judgment-throne. 
This  entirely  accords  with  the  fact  that  the  dispensation  | 
of  grace  is  at  an  end,  the  Christian  Church  complete,  and  / 
with  the  saints  of  past  ages  glorified. 

On  the  other  hand,  when  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth 
shall  have  become  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  the  throne  will 
not  be  characterized  as  here  it  is.  Righteousness  will 
reign,  but  the  fruit  of  it  will  be  peace,  and  the  effect, 
quietness  and  assurance  forever  (Isa,  xxxii.  17). 

Thus  we  have  in  the  lightnings  and  thunders  pro- 
ceeding from  the  throne  neither  the  attributes  of  the 
day  of  grace  nor  those  of  the  kingdom  of  glory,  but 
rather  of  that  interval  of  time  which  we  have  been  al- 


40  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    I3K." 

ready  considering,  in  which,  God's  judgments  being  upon 
the  earth,  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  will  learn  right- 
eousness (Isa.  xxvi.  9).  The  bow  of  promise  encircling 
the  throne  tells  of  the  storm  when  it  shall  have  passed 
— the  effect  designed  from  the  beginning. 

And  before  the  throne,  the  seven  lamps  of  fire  bear 
witness  of  its  action  as  suited  to  the  character  of  Him 
who  sits  upon  it.  They  are  the  sevenfold  energy  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  who  ever  works  out  the  divine  purpose 
in  the  creature,  whether  it  be  in  creation  as  at  the  be- 
ginning— when  He  brooded  over  the  vi^aters,  or  in  sancti- 
fication — when  we  are  new  born  of  the  Spirit,  or  in 
resurrection — when  the  work  of  grace  ends  in  glory. 
And  these  seven  spirits  rest  upon  the  Branch  of  Jesse 
when  the  government  of  the  earth  is  put  into  His  hand; 
''the  Spirit  of  Jehovah  shall  rest  upon  Him;  the  spirit 
of  wisdom  and  understanding,  the  spirit  of  counsel  and 
might,  the  spirit  of  knowledge  and  of  the  fear  of  Je- 
hovah; and  He  shall  be  of  quick  understanding  in  the  fear 
of  Jehovah  :  and  He  shall  not  judge  after  the  sight  of  His 
eyes,  neither  reprove  after  the  hearing  of  His  ears;  but 
with  righteousness  shall  He  judge  the  poor,  and  reprove 
with    equity    for    the    meek    of  the  earth;  and   He  shall 

•  smite   the    earth  with  the  rod    of    His  mouth,  and  with 
the  breath   of   His    lips  shall  He  slay  the  wicked  one" 

I  (Isa.   xi.   2-4).      Here    is    the   same  perfect  character  of 

*  government.  In  both  we  see  "man's  day"  ended  and 
j  the  "day  of  the  Lord"  commencing  its  course.  Nor 
.  shall  its  sun  ever  go  down. 

Before  the  throne,  also,  is  "a  sea  of  glass  like  unto 
.-crystal"  Before  the  typical  "heavenly  places"  among 
:  the  shadows  of  the  law,  there  stood  in  Solomon's  day 
^a  "sea"  of  water,  at  which  the  priests  washed  their 
hands  and  feet  before  they  went  in  to  minister  in  the 
sanctuary.  But  the  priests  are  now  gone  in;  the  defile- 
';  ments  of  earth  are  over,  and  there  is  no  longer  need 
jof  cleansing.     The  sea  is  therefore  here  a  sea  of  glass. 


THE    LIVING    ONES.  4I 

Abiding  purity  has  succeeded  to  constant  purification.    No 
wind  can  henceforth  even  ruffle  it.     The  lightnings  and 
thunder  cannot  disturb  its  rest, — to  it  are  as  if  they  were\ 
not.     Thus  the  elders  rest  upon  their  thrones  in  peace.       , 

Below,  we  shall  find  the  meaning  of  the  judgment- 
character  assumed  by  the  throne.  The  conflict  between 
good  and  evil  is  nearing  its  crisis;  the  power  of  evil  is 
rearing  itself  in  gigantic  forms;  open  blasphemous  de- 
fiance of  God  is  succeeding  to  secret  impiety;  men  are 
loudly  saying,  "  Let  us  break  their  bands  asunder  and 
cast  away  their  cords  from  us,"  and  it  is  time  for  God  to 
put  to  His  hand,  and  to  meet  His  adversaries  face  to  face. 

As,  therefore,  the  cherubim  and  the  flaming  sword 
united  to  bar  fallen  man  from  paradise, — as,  when  Israel 
had  reached  the  limit  of  divine  forbearance,  Ezekiel 
saw  the  infolding  fire  and  the  cherubic  forms  of  judg- 
ment,— so  now  once  more,  but  without  the  wheels  within 
wheels  of  providential  use  of  earthly  instruments  (God 
not  to  speak  by  a  Nebuchadnezzar,  but  in  plain  wrath 
from  heaven),  the  cherubim  are  seen. 

"And  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  and  round  about 
the  throne,  were  four  living  creatures  full  of  eyes  before 
and  behind.  And  the  first  living  creature  was  like  a 
lion,  and  the  second  living  creature  like  a  calf,  and 
the  third  living  creature  had  the  face  as  of  a  man,  and 
the  fourth  living  creature  was  like  a  flying  eagle.  And 
the  four  living  creatures,  having  each  of  them  six  wings, 
are  full  of  eyes  round  about  and  within;  and  they  have  no 
rest  day  and  night,  saying,  Holy,  holy,  holy.  Lord  God 
Almighty,  who  was,  and  is,  and  is  to  come." 

The  living  creatures  are  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  yet  • 
round  about  it, — identified  with  it,  yet  distinct.    To  picture  **W' 
this,  as  some  have  tried  to  do,  may  be  difficult,  and  yet 
the  idea  involved  in  it  is  not  difficult  at  all.     The  govern- 
ment of  God  is  carried  on,  as  Scripture  represents  it  to: 
us,   largely  at  least,  through   created  instruments.     The 
Old  Testament  shows  us  thus  angelic  ministries  in  sway^ 


42  "THINGS    THAT    SHALT,    BE. 

over  the  earth;  the  New  Testament  speaks  of  "thrones 
and  dominions  and  principaHtiesand  powers"  (Col.  i.  i6). 
They  are  thus  creaturely,  yet  identified  with  the  divine. 
Thus  were  the  judges  in  Israel  called  "  gods,"  and  our 
Lord  says,  "He  called  them  'gods'  unto  whom  the  word 
of  God  came  "  (Jno.  x.  35).  Here  we  have  the  idea  which 
the  words  as  to  the  living  creatures  ''  in  the  midst  of  the 
throne  and  round  about  the  throne  "seem  ii*itended  to 
convey. 

The  "  living  creatures "  certainly  show  that  they  are 
"creatures;"  although  no  stress  can  be  laid  upon  this 
word  as  used  by  the  H.  V.  here,  in  place  of  the  objec- 
tionable one,  ''beasts,"  in  the  older  translation.  The 
Greek  word  is,  "living  ones,"  though  generally  used  as 
the  equivalent  of  our  word,  from  the  Latin,  "  animal," 
which  literally  means  the  same  thing.  But  the  forms 
are  those  of  the  heads  of  the  animal  creation, — the  lion, 
of  wild  beasts;  the  calf  or  ox,  of  cattle;  the  eagle,  of 
birds;  and  man,  of  all.  Such  symbols  could  not  be — 
were  forbidden  to  be — used  of  God  Himself.  Their  six 
wings  are  intended,  surely,  to  lead  us  back  to  Isaiah's 
vision  of  the  seraphim,  who  cry,  "Holy,  holy,  holy,"  also, 
just  as  these;  and  here  "with  twain  they  covered  their 
face,  and  with  twain  they  covered  their  feet,"  the  suited 
^  reverence  of  creatures  in  the  presence  of  God.  They  are 
,  not,  then,  direct  symbols  of  God  Himself. 

That  they  are  the  angels  as   a  class  is  more  like  the 

*  ^! truth,  as  is  plain  from  what  we  have  already  seen;  yet  in 

V"       the  fifth  chapter  they  are  broadly  distinguished  from  the 

^  angels,  who   are  seen   in  a  separate  company  round  the 

y  throne;  while,  if  the  elders  represent  the  redeemed,  they 

are  in  our  present  one  distinguished   from    these   also. 

That  they  are  a  distinct  class  among  the  angels  has  in 

-itself  no  scriptural  probability,  though  it  is  the  favorite 

traditional  view.     That    they  are    symbols   can   scarcely 

.be  doubted;  hardly  of  a  race  of  beings  of  whom  else- 

"  where  we  have  no  trace.     Lastly,  that  they  symbolize  the 


THE    LIVING    ONES.  43 

Church,   as  distinct  from  other  bodies  of   redeemed,  is  jv'*' 
negatived  by  all  the  Old-Testament  passages.     .  ^C^*'' 

The  view  which  alone  harmonizes  all  that  is  conflicting 
in  these  is,  that  they  are  symbols  of  that  government  of  ! 
God  over  the  earth  which  may  be  exercised  by  angels,  will  • 
be  over  the  millenmal  earth  by  the  redeemed  associated  > 
with  Christ  Himself.     The   transition  we  shall   find,  in 
fact,  in  these  very  chapters  of  Revelation;  while  cherubim 
were,  as  we  know,  upon  the  tabernacle-vail,  which  the , 
apostle  declares  to  be  the  ''flesh,"  or  human  nature,  of) 
Christ  (Ex.  xxvi.  31;  Heb.  x.  20). 

Hence  also — as  having  reference  to  the  government  of 
the  earth — the  living  creatures  are  four  in  number,  4 
being  significant  of  earthly  completeness,  as  in  the  "four 
corners  of  the  earth."  Their  six  wings  speak  of  restless 
activity, — perhaps  of  restraint  upon  evil,  for  6  speaks  of 
this  limit  imposed  by  God.  The  eyes  within  and  around 
show  regard  to  God — for  "within"  is  toward  Him  that 
sits  upon  the  throne — and  perfect,  not  partial,  knowledge 
of  things  on  every  side.  For  the  simple  complete  obedi- 
ence of  the  creature  would  keep  it  free  from  displaying 
the  short-sightedness  of  the  creature. 

Now,  if  we  look  at  the  appearance  of  the  living  crea- 
tures themselves,  we  shall  find  that  each  one  furnishes  us 
with  some  view  of  the  divine  government  which  supple- 
ments and  balances  the  rest,  and  that  the  order  also  is 
significant,  as  in  Scripture  every  thing  is.  What  the 
Lord  teaches  us  as  to  every  jot  and  tittle  qf  the  law  is 
true  no  less  of  the  whole  inspired  Word. 

How  significant  that  the  first  form  is  that  of  a  lion,  the  f\ 
symbol  of  royal  and  resistless  power !     This  is  the  first  • 
necessity   for   government,   in    which    feebleness  is  only 
another   name   for   failure.     Christ's   own    name    in    the 
chapter  following  is,  "  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,"  and 
when  He  acts  in  that  character,  no  one  will  be  able  for  a 
moment  to  resist   Him.     It  will   be   the    most   absolute, 
sovereignty  that  the  world  has  ever  seen. 


44  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

But  then,  by  itself,  assuredly,  this  symbol  would  mislead. 
When  John  looks  for  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  he 
sees  a  "Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain;"  and  when  even 
wrath  is  ready  to  be  poured  out  upon  men,  it  is  spoken  of 
as  the  "wrath  of  the  Lamb."  Indeed,  that  is  what  makes 
it  so  terrible.  It  is  the  wrath  of  love  itself.  It  is  the 
judgment  of  One  with  whom  judgment  is  a  "strange 
work."  It  is  judgment  which  is  so  unsparing  because 
love  energizes-the  arm  and  guides  the  blow.  It  is  judg- 
ment for  which  there  is  no  remedy, — which  can  alone 
fulfill  the  counsels  of  perfect  wisdom  and  goodness;  judg- 
ment which  prayer  cannot  be  offered  to  avert,  but  for 
which  prayer  is  made  and  accepted  by  God. 

Slow  indeed  it  has  been  in  coming  !  So  the  ages  of 
misrule  and  evil,  of  oppression  and  wrong,  would  say.  So 
murmur  the  down-trodden;  so  scoffs  the  infidel.  The 
prophet  cries,  "How  long?"  The  wicked,  pursuing  his 
successful  wickedness,  says,  "God  hath  forgotten:  He 
hideth  His  face;  He  will  never  see  it."  All  are  expecting 
from  the  government  of  God  the  rapid  and  decisive 
action  which  they  think  alone  suited  to  Him  in  whose 
hands  all  power  is. 

Hence,  the  slow  ox*  follows  the  lion  here;  with  strength 
equal  to  his,  but  used  how  differently  !  The  ox  is  the 
symbol  of  patient  labor,  and  which  has  man's  good  for 
its  end.  So  the  apostle  uses  it  (i  Cor.  ix.  9,  10).  It  is  the 
mystery  of  apparent  slowness  that  is  here  explained. 
"God  is  not  slack,  as  some  count  slackness,"  but  in  all 
His  government  works  out  unfailingly  counsels  of  wisdom 
in  which  man's  blessing  will  surely  at  last  be  found.  Not 
in  the  lion  is  the  highest  type  of  sovereignty.  The  lion's 
is  brute  force  at  the  bidding  of  impulse  merely.  The  ox 
works  under  the  control  of  mind. 

*'■'■  Moschos"  translated  in  our  version  "calf,"  is  so  used  in  the  Septua- 
gint  (Kx.  xxi  33;  xxii.  1,  J),  10,  30;  Lev.  iv.  10;  ix.  4,  etc.),  which  uses  it  in 
Ezek.  i.  10,  the  parallel  i>ass!igc  to  this  in  Revelation.  The  idea  is  of  a 
young,  fresh  animal,  not  galled  yet  with  a  yoke,  nor  jaded  with  over-labor, 
(the  fitted  type,  therefore,  of  divine  working. 


THE    LIVING    ONES.  45 

But  there  is  more  than  this,  which  the  next  cherub 
speaks  of:  for  now  a  human  face  greets  us — "the  third 
living  creature  had  \.\\&  face  of  a  luaii.'"'  And  what  strikes 
us  first  in  this  ?  Not  mind  merely,  though  there  is  mind, 
and  in  it  lies  the  power  he  has — power  which  both  the  ox 
and  lion  own.  But  that  only  completes  the  thought 
which  we  have  had  already  presented.  Surely  beyond 
this,  and  rather  than  this,  what  strikes  us  in  a  human  face 
in  the  midst  of  such  surroundings,  is  \i?>  familiarity.  Here 
we  have  what  we  can  understand  in  a  way  we  cannot  the 
lion  or  the  ox;  and  as  a  symbol  of  divine  government, 
it  forces  upon  us  irresistibly  the  conviction  that  in  it  God 
seeks  to  be  known  by  us.  Not  only  is  He  working  out 
blessing  in  the  end.  He  is  meeting  us  also  now,  and 
giving  us  to  know  Himself.  He  is  cultivating  intimacy 
with  us.  And  this  every  soul  of  His  own  can  better  un- 
derstand in  His  personal  dealings  with  himself,  than  in 
His  ways  at  large — His  public  government  of  the  world. 

Here  in  our  little  world  we  can  find,  at  least,  if  we  will, 
how  "tribulation  worketh  patience;  and  patience  experi- 
ence, and  experience  hope."  Here  the  darkness  and  the 
sorrow,  the  night  and  the  storm,  yield  (at  least  afterward) 
their  "peaceable  fruits."  Here,  if  we  "go  down  to  the 
sea  in  ships,  and  have "  our  "  business  in  the  deep 
waters,"  we  but  the  more  "  see  the  works  of  the  Lord,  and 
His  wonders  inthe  deep."  And  how  sweetly  assuring  is 
this  knowledge  of  a  living  God,  for  whose  care  we  are  not 
too  little,  and  from  whom  no  circumstance  of  our  lives,  no 
need  of  our  souls,  is  hid.  Would  that  we  all  knew  this 
better,  which  the  most  exercised  among  us  knows  best ! 
We  shall  find  in  it,  what  this  "face  of  a  man  "  may  well 
prepare  us  for,  that  it  is  not  necessarily  in  great  and  out- 
of-the-way  occurrences  that  God  most  manifests  Himself. 
He  has  here  as  elsewhere  a  way  of  taking  up  and  magni- 
fying what  is  little  by  putting  Himself  into  connection 
with  it;  and  thus  (as  in  all  His  works)  the  microscope 
will  convey  as  much   to   us,  it  may  be  more,   than  the 


46  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

telescope.  For  He  is  every  where:  "One  God  and 
Father  of  all,  who  is  over  all,  and  through  all,  and  in  all." 
Yet  because  He  is  God,  there  will  be  that  every  where 
which  will  remind  us  in  whose  presence  we  stand.  No 
where  can  we  escape  from  the  mystery  which  attends  His 
presence.  Nor  would  we  if  we  realize  this  as  its  meaning. 
A  God  always  comprehensible  by  us  would  be  only  such 
an  one  as  ourselves :  but  magnify  man  into  God  you 
cannot.  Still  there  will  be  the  *'  light  inaccessible,  which 
no  man  can  approach  unto."  Yet  this  is  light,  not  dark- 
ness, and  it  makes  nothing  really  dark,  as  men  profess; 
rather  in  this  light  we  see  light, — the  knowledge  of  God 
illuminates  all  otlier  things. 

And  this  is  what  is  intimated,  I  believe,  by  the  last  of 
these  living  ones  :  "The  fourth  living  creature  was  like  a 
flying  eagle  " — an  eagle  on  the  wing.  For  the  "  way  of 
an  eagle  in  the  air"  is  one  of  the  four  things  of  which  the 
wise  man  speaks  as  "too  wonderful"  for  him  (Prov.  xxx. 
18,  19).  And  this  is  to  be  joined  with  what  the  eagle  in 
itself  conveys  to  us  as  a  "bird  of  heaven," — a  type  of 
what  is  heavenly;  especially  with  its  bold,  soaring  flight, 
for  which  the  ancients  assigned  it  to  the  apostle  John  as 
his  emblem. 

Thus,  then,  these  cherubic  figures  speak  to  us,  and  in 

their  praise  they  celebrate  the  holiness,  power,  and  un- 

changeableness  of  the  covenant-God.    The  Old-Testament 

,   names,  as  all  the  way  through  this  part,  come  up  again. 

It  is  this  God  who  is  our  Father,  but  not  as  Father  do  we 

,   find  Him  here.    He  is  our  God,  if  Father  :  and  as  such  the 

I  elders  worship  Him.     For  "whenever  the  living  creatures 

)  give*  glory  and  honor  and  thanks  to  Him  that  sitteth  on 

I  the  throne,  to  Him  that  liveth  forever  and  ever,  the  four 

\  and  twenty  elders  fall*  down  before  Him  that  sitteth  on 

<   the  throne,  and   worship*  Him  that  liveth   forever  and 

\  ever,  and  cast*  their  crowns  before  the  throne,  saying, 

I       *■  These  are  all  strictly  futures,  but  the  force  seems  better  expressed  in 
I    English  by  "whenever"  with  the  i)resent. 


THE    LION    OF    THE    TRIBE    OF    JUDAH.  47 

Worthy  art  Thou,  our  Lord  and  our  God,  to  receive 
glory  and  honor  and  power;  for  Thou  hast  created  all 
things,  and  because  of  Thy  will  they  were,  and  were 
created." 

How  blessed  is  this  worship !  The  constraint  is  that  of 
the  heart  alone :  the  spirit  of  praise  dictates  the  praise. 
They  are  intelligent,  and  give  the  reason  of  it;  not  here 
redemption,  but  creation.  By  and  by  they  celebrate  re- 
demption also,  but  one  theme  does  not  displace  another  : 
all  that  God  is  and  has  done  is  worthy  of  Him,  and  they 
express  their  adoration  as  dependent  on  the  will  of  Him 
who,  for  His  glory,  had  created  them.  This  perpetual 
worship  of  heaven  is  the  witness  of  the  perpetual  fresh- 
ness of  abiding  blessing  traced  by  the  happy  heart  to 
God  as  its  source.  May  we  learn  better  on  earth  this 
song  of  praise ! 

The  Lion  of  the  Tribe  of  Judah. 

(Chap.  V.) 

And  now,  in  the  right  hand  of  Him  that  sits  upon  the 
throne  there  is  seen  a  book,  or  scroll,  completely  filled* 
with    writing,   which    is,    however,   as    to   decipherment, 
completely  hid  from  sight.     It  is  the  book  of  the  future,  | 
already   and    completely   foreknown    and    settled  in  the  \ 
divine   counsels :    no   room    for   any  thing   to   be  after-  ' 
ward  supplied.     Thank  God,  no  tittle  of  history  that  the 
future  holds  will  put  omniscience  to  shame,  or  show  the 
book  of  God's  counsels  to  have  escaped  out  of  the  hand 
of  enthroned  omnipotence. 

Yet  if  it  remain  there,  who  can  penetrate  it?  The 
seven  seals  show  it  to  be  absolutely  hidden  from  saint 
or  angel.  Let  it  be  proclaimed  with  a  voice  mighty 
enough  to  reach  all  the  inhabitants  of  heaven,  earth,  and 

*  "  According  to  ancient  usage,  a  parchment-roll  was  first  written  on  the 
inside,  and  if  the  inside  wa.s  filled  with  writing,  then  the  outside  was  used, 
or  back  part  of  the  roll ;  and  if  that*lso  was  covered  with  writing,  and  the 
whole  available  space  was  occupied,  the  book  was  called  opistho  graphos 
('  written  on  the  back-side,'  Lucian  Vit.  Auct.  9,  PUn.Epist.  iii.  5.)"  (Words- 
worth, quoted  in  Schaflf  s  Lange.) 


48  "  THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

the  underworld,  there  is  nowhere  any  answer  to  the  chal- 
lenge, "Who  is  worthy  to  open  the  book?" 

God's  counsels  imply  blessing.  It  may  be  indeed 
through  much  tribulation  —  the  light  checkered  with 
shadows — evening  and  morning  together  making  up  the 
day.  Even  so,  we  name  it  " day"  from  the  light,  not  from 
the  darkness.  The  conflict  of  good  with  evil  must  end  in 
triumph,  not  in  defeat.  And  who  is  worthy  to  proclaim 
that  triumph  ?  Only  He  who  can  insure  it  and  carry  it 
out;  for  this  only  it  is,  as  we  shall  see,  that  opens  the 
book.  It  is  no  longer,  at  the  time  to  which  this  change 
brings  us,  a  question  of  making  prophetic  announcements, 
but  of  manifesting  God's  purposes  by  decisive  acts  of 
power.  True,  we  are  enabled,  as  having  the  prophecy, 
in  measure  to  anticipate  what  is  to  come.  But  that,  with 
all  its  value  for  us,  is  not  what  we  see  in  this  picture.  It 
is  not  the  inditing  of  a  book,  nor  the  uttering  of  a 
prophecy,  that  we  have  before  us,  but  the  opening  it  by 
fulfillment.*  Here,  then.  One  alone  can  be  found ''  worthy  " 
to  open  it.  And  though  we  know  well  who  it  is,  yet  we 
must  note  the  character  in  which  He  is  introduced  to  us. 

The  prophet  weeps  because  no  one  is  "found  worthy 
to  open  the  book,  neither  to  look  thereon.  And  one  of 
the  elders  saith  unto  me,  ^Weep  not  :  behold,  the  Lion  of 
the  tribe  of  Judah,  the  Root  of  David,  hath  prevailed  to 
open  the  book  and  the  seven  seals  thereof.' " 

This  is  in  complete  and  striking  accord  with  what  we 
have  already  seen  as  to  the  change  of  dispensation  which 
the  vision  shows  to  be  taking  place.  The  time  of  gather- 
ing from  heaven  being  fulfilled,  the  body  of  Christ  com; 
pleted,  and  the  saints  of  the  New-Testament  period  caught 
upTwith  those  of  former  times  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air, 
the  fulfillment  of  Old-Testament  prophecy,  long  suspended, 
begins  again,  and  in  the  forefront  of  the  world's  history 
.  Israel  find  their  place  as  of  old.      The  "  Lion  of  the  tribe 

*We  may  note  here,  although  it  is  not  necessary  to  this  interpretation, 
that  "and  to  read"  in  ver.  4  is  omitted  by  the  editors. 


THE    LION    OF    THE    TRIBE    OF    JUDAH.  49 

of  Judah"  here  announces  One  who  is  taking  up  once 
more  their  cause,  to  crown  it  with  speedy  and  entire 
victory.  Power  is  soon  to  manifest  itself  in  that  sudden 
outburst  of  irresistible  righteous  anger  of  which  the 
second  psalm  warns  the  kings  of  the  earth  :  "  Be  wise 
now,  therefore,  O  ye  kings !  be  instructed,  ye  that  are 
judges  of  the  earth  !  Serve  the  Lord  with  fear,  and  re- 
joice with  reverence.  Kiss  the  Son,  lest  He  be  angry,  and 
ye  perish  from  the  way,  when  His  wrath  shall  suddenly 
kindle." 

In  this  title,  ''Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,"  the  whole 
significance  of  Jacob's  ancient  prophecy  flashes  out. 
"Judah,  thou  art  he  whom  thy  brethren  shall  praise  :  thy 
hand  shall  be  upon  the  neck  of  thine  enemies;  thy  father's 
children  shall  bow  down  before  thee.  Judah  is  a  lion's 
whelp;  from  the  prey,  my  son,  thou  art  gone  up  :  he  hath 
stooped,  he  hath  couched  as  a  lion,  and  as  an  old  lion, — 
who  shall  rouse  him  up?" 

From  this  we  must  not  disjoin  what  follows  :  "  The 
sceptre  shall  not  depart  from  Judah,  nor  a  lawgiver 
from  between  his  feet,  until  Shiloh  come;  and  to  him 
shall  the  gathermg  of  the  people  be"  (Gen.  xlix.  8-10). 

Thus  it  is  Christ  that  Jacob  has  in  spirit  before  him,  when 
he  sees  Judah  assuming  the  lion-character.  And  when  in 
David  it  actually  rose  up  for  a  short  time  in  the  predicted 
manner,  the  brief  glory  of  his  kingdom  only  foretold  and 
heralded  the  better  glory  of  Christ's  enduring  one.  And 
in  this  way  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  is  not  only  the 
"Branch  of  David,"  springing  out  of  the  cut-down  tree, 
but,  as  here,  the  Root  also  of  David,  from  which  David 
himself  derives  all  real  significance. 

It  is  plain,  then,  that  now  the  appeal  of  the  eighty- 
ninth  psalm  is  to  be  answered.  David's  throne  is  to  be 
lifted  up  from  the  dust,  and  Judah's  long-delayed  hope  is 
to  expand  into  fruition.  Strange  is  it  to  think  how  critics 
and  commentators  can,  in  the  Lion  of  Judah  opening  the 
book  of  God's  counsels,  see  only  the  general  truth  of 


50  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

Christ  upon  the  throne  of  providential  government,  when 
it  is  plain,  according  to  the  undoubted  reference,  that  the 
thought  of  Judah's  Lion  is  inseparably  connected  with 
that  of  Judah  taking  the  prey,  and  then  couching  with  a 
front  of  power  which  none  will  dare  to  excite:  ^^  Judah, 
thou  art  a  lion's  whelp;  from  the  prey,  my  son,  thou  art 
gone  up  :  he  hath  couched  as  a  lion — who  shall  rouse  him 
up?" 

It  is  not  only  ignorance  of  Scripture,  but  also  of  the 
perfection  of  Scripture,  which  operates  in  these  becloud- 
ing views  of  the  great  prophecy  before  us,  in  which  every 
expression,  every  nicety  of  utterance,  is  to  be  marked  and 
estimated  at  its  worth,  because  it  has  worth.  If  not  one 
jot  or  one  tittle  could  pass  from  the  law,  as  the  Lord 
Himself  declared,  till  all  were  fulfilled,  how  impossible, 
then,  for  prophecy  to  have  an  irrelevant  jot  or  tittle  which 
can  be  safely  disregarded  !  Go  on,  with  this  character 
that  Christ  has  now  assumed  present  in  the  mind,  and  is 
it  strange  or  doubtful  what  can  be  meant  by  the  sealing 
out  of  the  twelve  tribes,  in  the  seventh  chapter,  with  the 
separate  gathering  of  the  Gentile  multitude  afterward, 
"  come  out  of  (not  merely  great,  but  specifically)  the  great 
tribulation  ?  All  is  clear  and  consistent  in  detail  when 
we  have  correctly  the  general  thought. 

It  is  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  then,  who  prevails 
to  open  the  book.  The  hindrance  to  the  blessing  of 
Israel  and  the  earth  is  now  removed.  Christ  has  over- 
come. But  how  then  overcome?  What  could  be  the 
impediment  to  the  execution  of  divine  purposes  of  good- 
ness toward  men,  and  how  alone  could  evil  be  met,  sub- 
dued,— nay,  made  to  minister  to  higher  blessing?  This 
is  what  is  now  to  be  declared. 

"And  I  saw  standing  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  and  of 
the  four  living  creatures,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  elders, 
a  Lamb,  as  though  it  had  been  slain,  having  seven  horns 
and  seven  eyes,  which  are  the  seven  spirits  of  God,  sent 
forth  into  all  the  earth." 


THE    LION    OF    THE    TRIBE    OF    JUDAH.  5 1 

The  Lamb  is  not  here  represented  as  upon  the  throne, 
but  in  the  midst  of  a  circle  formed  by  the  throne,  the 
living  creatures,  and  the  elders.  Lamb  as  He  is  (and  the 
word  used  emphasizes  the  connected  thought  of  feeble- 
ness in  some  way),  the  attribute  of  perfect  power  is  seen 
in  the  seven  horns  as  that  of  omniscience  is  seen  in  the 
seven  eyes,  with  the  still  more  decisive  interpretation 
given  them.  Still  the  feebleness  is  again  marked,  and  to 
the  extreme,  in  the  note  appended  that  it  was  "as  though 
it  had  been  slain."  Weakness,  then,  we  are  to  mark  in 
the  One  depicted  here  as  well  as  power,  and  the  evident 
tokens  of  past  suffering  even  to  death,  although  alive  out 
of  death. 

Evidently  this  is  how  He  has  prevailed.  He  has  con- 
quered death  through  dying,  conquered  it  in  its  own 
domain  by  going  into  it,  giving  Himself  a  sacrifice,  a 
vicarious  offering,  for  the  lamb  was  well  known  as  that. 
Sin  has  been  thus  met  by  atonement;  evil  triumphed 
over  by  good,  the  might  of  pure  love  acting  according  to 
holiness,  where  power  otherwise  there  was  none,  or  it  was 
against  the  Sufferer.  This  was  the  victory  that  opened 
the  book. 

But  we  must  not  read  this  as  if  it  was  meant  to  assure 
us  that  the  Christian  view  of  the  Lamb  has  replaced  or 
set  aside  or  come  as  in  a  mystery  to  explain  the  Jewish 
conception  of  the  Lion.  This  is  the  thought  of  many, 
but  it  is  entirely  wrong  and  hopelessly  confusing.     The 


:1 


Lion  and  the  Lamb  are  but  one  blessed  Person;  and 
moreover.  One  who  remains,  through  whatever  changes  of 
position,  wholly  unchanging  Himself, — "Jesus  Christ,  the 
same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever"  (Heb.  xiii.  8).  This 
is  true,  and  necessarily  true,  and  it  is  our  joy  and  conso- 
lation for  all  time;  but  it  does  not  turn  condemnation 
into  salvation,  or  make  the  judgment  of  wrath  a  piping 
instead  of  mourning. 

The  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  is  not  a  mere  Jewish! 
notion,  but  a  true  and  scriptural  conception.    It  is  Jewish 


52  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE:. 

indeed — not  Christian;  and  for  that  very  reason  cannot 
be  the  equivalent  of  the  "Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain." 
And  yet  it  is  in  His  victory  over  death  that  He  acquires 
the  power  which  as  the  Lion  of  Judah  He  displays. 
This  is  how  the  two  views,  in  themselves  so  manifestly 
different,  find  their  relation  to  one  another. 

,     Yet  it  is  the  Lamb  that  takes  the  book,  and  the  Lion  of 

-the  tribe  of  Judah  who  does  so.  As  the  first,  He  is  the 
Interpreter  of  the  counsels  of  redeeming  love,  as  they 
embrace  the  whole  circle  of  its  objects.  As  the  second. 
He  takes  up  Israel  spedfically  to  deHyer  them  from  sur- 
rounding enemies  and  establish  them  in  peace  under  the 
shield  of  His  omnipotence.  His  title  here  has  plainly  to 
do  with  power  dispkiyed  against  the  foes  of  His  people. 
And  this  is  what  plainly  gives  the  necessary  stand-point 
from  which  we  can  see  aright  the  meaning  of  the  chapters 
which  follow  for  the  larger  part  of  the  remainder  of  the 
book. 

Yet  it  is  no  wonder  that  up  in  heaven,  among  the 
redeemed,  it  is  as  the  Lamb  slain  that  the  myriad  voices 
celebrate  Him,  and  the  Lion  of  Judah  seems  to  be 
forgotten.  This  is  not  really  so;  nor  does  it  show  that 
the  one  title  is  not  to  be  distinguished  from  the  other. 
When  He  acts  according  to  the  latter,  we  shall  find  how 
intense  are  the  sympathies  of  this  heavenly  throng.  To 
no  act  of  His  can  there  be  indifference.  But  the  praise  and 
homage  of  heaven  are  to  the  Lamb  slain.  Redemption  is 
what  declares  Him  to  the  heart,  and  that  a  redemption  by 

-  purchase,  though  redemption  by  power  be  its  necessary 
complement.     The  Lamb  slain  gives  the  one   side;  the 

J  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  speaks  of  the  other. 

When  the  Lamb  takes  the  book,  the  redemption-song 
is  heard  in  heaven.  "And  when  He  had  taken  the  book,  the 
four  living  creatures  and  the  four  and  twenty  elders  fell 
down  before  the  Lamb,  having  every  one  of  them  a  harp, 
and  golden  bowls  full  of  incense,  which  are  the  prayers  of 
the  saints.     And  they  sing  a  new  song,  saying,  'Worthy 


THE    LION    OF    THE    TRIBE    OF    JUDAH.  53 

art  Thou  to  take  the  book,  and  to  open  the  seals  thereof; 
for  Thou  wast  slain,  and  didst  purchase  unto  God  with 
Thy  blood  out  of  every  tribe  and  tongue  and  people  and 
nation,  and  madest  them  unto  our  God  a  kingdom  and 
priests,  and  they  shall  reign  over  the  earth."  \V^> 

In  this  "  new  song,"  the  living  creatures  and  the  elders        \^ 
are  united.     The  angels  we  find  in  the  verses  succeedingVf  j, 
these,  worshiping  in  a  circle  outside  and  in  other  terms.  ^^^'» 
This  surely  is  another  sign  of  what  is  taking  place,  and  ^  ,Jf 
where  the  vision  brings  us.     The  symbols  of  administra-v*^  . 
tive  government,  which  the  living  creatures  present  tolas,,     v^ 
aire  now  connected  with   redeemed   men,  and  no  longer^^    % 
with  angels.  ''  Unto  angels  hath  He  not  put  in  subjection ^^y**^ 
the  world  to   come  whereof  we   speak.     But   one    in   ^    a^' 
certain  place  testified,  saying,  '  What  is  man,  that  ThouV      ft 
art  mindful  of  him',  or  the  son  of  man,  that  Thou  visitest  \\^  ** 
him  ?     Thou  madest  him  a  little  lower  than  the  angels; 
Thou  crownedst  him  with  glory  and  honor;  Thou  didst 
set  him  over  the  works  of  Thy  hands'"  (Heb.  ii.  5-8). 

This  is,  of  course,  spoken  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  but  in 
Him  man,  according  to  the  will  of  God,  comes  to  the 
place  of  authority  in  the  world  to  come,  in  which,  in  the 
book  of  Daniel,  we  find  the  angels.  It  is  when  the  Son  ] 
of  Man  takes  His  own  throne  that  the  saints  reign  with  ; 
Him.  Thus,  in  this  song  of  redemption  we  have  now 
"they  shall  reign  over  the  earth."  It  is  plain,  then,  that 
the  vision  here  brings  us  to  the  eve  of  the  millennial  day. 

Not  only  are  the  heavenly  saints  seen  as  about  to  enter 
on  their  reign  over  the  earth;  they  are  already  in  their 
character  as  priests,  "  having  golden  bowls  full  of  incense, 
which  are  the  prayers  of  the  saints."  It  is  not  said  that 
they  are  offering  them  :  they  are,  in  fact,  at  that  moment  in 
another  attitude;  and  this  seems  pointed  out  as  to  them, 
as  if  to  be  another  of  the  marks  of  the  period  which  is 
now  beginning.  Observe,  they  are  never  looked  at  as 
themselves  interceding.  They  are  charged  with  the 
prayers  of  others,  but  add  nothing  to  them.  There  are  no 


54  **  THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

supererogatory  merits  that  they  have  acquired,  to  give 

efficacy  to  what  they  present;  and  the  prayers  themselves 

are  the  incense,  not  incense  is  added  to  them.     Romanism 

finds   here   no   atom  of  justification,  such  as  some  have 

alleged;  but  the  statement  of  the  text  is  plain,  and  we 

must  abide  by  it.      The  risen  saints  are  priests  and  kings 

r  to  God.     In  the  former  capacity,  they  have  the  incense- 

,  prayers  in  their  hand;  in  the  latter,  they  are  presently  to 

reign  over  the  earth,  so  that  the  cherubic  living  creatures 

r  and  the  elders  are  now  seen  together. 

Thus  the  period  of  the  vision  is  made  as  plain  as 
possible,  and  the  song  of  the  redeemed  is  thus  a  "new" 
song,  not  because  redemption  itself  was  yet  a  new  thing, 
but  because  it  was  now,  as  far  as  heaven  itself  was  con- 
cerned, accomplished.  Resurrection,  the  redemption  of 
the  body,  was  now  accomplished,  and  'the  Lamb  about  to 
commence  what  He  alone  could  undertake — the  redemp- 
tion by  power  of  the  earth  also.  At  this  point,  the  song  of 
praise  celebrates  the  completion  of  all  as  to  the  singers 
save  the  reign  over  the  earth  involved  in  what  He  is  now 
taking  in  hand  to  do.  Thus  the  song  is  new. 
.  But  is  it  their  own  redemption  they  are  celebrating? 
'The  text  as  it  used  to  be  read  made  no  doubt  of  this;  but 
4t  is  abandoned  by  the  general  consent  of  the  editors, 
who  accept  substantially  what  the  E.  V.  gives,  except 
that,  as  to  the  last  clause,  there  is  still  dispute  whether  it  I 
should  be  "they  reign"  or  "they  shall  reign."  I  prefer 
'the  latter,  as  most  according  to  the  fact,  authorities  being 
'divided.  The  result  as  to  the  whole  is  that  the  elders  do 
not  say,  "Thou  hast  redeemed  us,  and  we  shall  reign," 
■but  "Thou  hast  redeemed  a  people,  and  they  shall 
reign."  Instead  of  being  specific,  it  is  general,  as  to  who 
-the  people  are,  although  the  last  clause  limits  it  to  the 
heavenly  family  of  the  redeemed.  The  millennial  saints 
do  not  reign  over  the  earth.  They  inherit  it  in  peace  and 
blessing,  but  it  is  they  who  suffer  with  Christ  who  shall 
reign  with  Him  (2  Tim.  ii.  12). 


\ 


THE    LION    OF    THE    TRIBE    OF    JUDAH.  55 

The  change  puts  emphasis  upon  the  redemption,  rather 
than  upon  the  persons  who  are  partakers  of  it;  and  this 
commends  itself  to  spiritual  apprehension.  The  Lamb 
and  His  wondrous  work  fill  the  souls  of  His  own  with 
rapture  as  they  fall  before  His  feet :  "  Thou  wast  slain, 
and  hast  redeemed  to  God."  But  there  seems  to  me  no 
ground  for  what  some  allege  from  this  change  of  text, 
that  the  heavenly  saints  here  are  celebrating  the  redemp- 
tion of  others  and  not  their  own  !  Why  should  this  be  ? 
The  language  does  not  necessitate  it;  for  if  we  say,  "  Thou 
hast  redeemed  a  people,"  even  though  we  are  speaking 
of  ourselves,  it  is  quite  in  order  to  say,  keeping  up  the 
third  person  all  through,  "and  they  shall  reign.''  I  agree^' 
with  those  who  hold  the  view  with  which  I  cannot  agree,  ■  ^ 
that  there  is  a  company  of  martyrs  after  this  who  are,  as  V*^ 
such,  to  be  joined  to  this  heavenly  company,  and  who  are 
seen  in  this  way  as  added  to  them  in  chap.  xx.  4-6.  But 
to  think  that  in  the  vision  before  us  the  saints  are 
praising  Christ  solely  for  the  redemption  of  another  class 
than  themselves,  is,  I  venture  to  say,  extreme  and  in- 
congruous. Surely  we  should  not  think,  in  praising 
Christ  for  redemption,  of  wholly  omitting  the  thought 
that  we  ourselves  are  among  the  subjects  of  it !  Every 
consideration  here,  moreover,  would  forbid  the  sup- 
position. 

Outside  the  circle  of  the  redeemed,  the  angels  have  now       ^ 
their  place  and  their  praise.     It  has  been  often  and  justly  irj  • 
remarked  that  the^do  not  '^  sing."     Their  peaceful  lives,  \    ^v 
not  subject  to  vicissitucieT^or  touched  by  sin,  furnish  no  v^ y 
various  tones  for  melody.    The  harps  which  we  have  above    A/^ 
are  tuned   down   here,  where   the   Davids,  signalized   by        ^ 
their  afflictions,  are  the  sweet  singers  of  Israel.  Wondrous 
and    eternal    fruit    of   earth's  sorrow,  though    by  divine 
grace  only,  the  redeemed  among  men  will  be  the  choir  of 
heaven  !     Blessed  be  God  ! 

''And  I  beheld,  and  I  heard  the  voice  of  many  angels 
round  about  the  throne  and  the  living  creatures  and  the 


56  "things  that  shall  be." 

elders;  and  the  number  of  them  was  ten  thousand  times 
ten  thousand,  and  thousands  of  thousands,  saying  as  with 
a  great  voice,  '  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  has^^Keen  slain, 
to  receive  power  and  riches  and  wisdom  and  might  and 
honor  and  glory  and  blessing.'" 

Redemption  has  thus  added  to  the  angels'  praise.  It  is 
not  to  the  Creator  only.  And  in  this  new  praise,  a  new 
element  of  blessing,  a  new  apprehension  of  God,  has 
entered  into  their  hearts.  They  are  nearer,  though  in  this 
outside  circle,  than  they  ever  were  before.  In  truth, 
though  in  some  sense  outside,  our  earthly  idea  of  distance 
fails  to  convey  the  thought.  Larger  and  smaller  meas- 
ures of  apprehension  there  may  be  and  will  be,  but  true 
distance  of  the  creature  from  the  Creator  is  in  heaven  the 
one  impossibility,  where  of  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  every  family  is  named.  ''Whither  shall  I  go  from 
Thy  presence?"  is  never  whispered;  and  the  whisper  of 
it,  even  in  heaven,  would  make  it  hell. 

And  now,  in  a  wider  sweep  again, — 

"  Every  creature  which  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the  earth, 
and  under  the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  even  all 
that  are  in  them,  heard  I  saying,  *  Blessing  and  honor  and 
glory  and  power  be  unfo  Him  that  sitteth  upon  the 
throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb  forever  and  ever.'  And  the 
four  living  creatures  said,  'Amen,'  and  the  elders  fell 
down  and  worshiped." 

This  is  the  voice  of  the  lower  creation  in  echo  to  the 
praise  of  heaven.  It  is  such  a  response  as  many  of  the 
psalms  call  for  in  view  of  the  coming  of  the  Lord;  and  is 
another  mark  of  the  time  of  the  vision.  The  earth  under 
the  desolation  of  the  fall  has  for  the  time  lost  its  place, 
as  it  might  seem,  and  wandered  as  a  planet  from  its  orbit 
into  the  starless  silence  around.  Christ,  as  her  central 
Sun,  has  come  back  to  her  after  the  long  polar  darkness, 
and  her  voices  wake  up  as  the  spring  returns.  Blessed 
it  is  to  realize  (so  simple  and  natural  as  it  is)  the  response 
to  this  response  on  the  part  of  the  human  elders,  as  this 


THE    OPENING    OF    THE    FIRST    FOUR    SEALS,  57 

sound  is  heard.  The  governmental  powers  of  earth — the 
Hving  creatures — utter  their  glad  "Amen  "  to  it.  Earth  is 
to  repay  the  long  labor  and  service  of  rule  at  last.  And 
the  elders,  with  their  own  memories  of  sin  and  darkness 
(now  forever  but  memories,  though  undying),  hear  it  in  a 
thrill  of  sympathetic  joy  that  (as  all  the  joy  of  heaven)  melts 
into  adoration  :  "The  elders  fell  down  and  worshiped." 

The  Opening  of  the  Seals  :   The  First  Four 
Seals.  (Chap.  vi.  i,  2.) 

The  Lamb  having  taken  the  book,  the  opening  of  the   j' 
seals   at   once   follows.       When   they   are   all   loosed, —   ^ 
and  not  before, — then  the  book  is  fully  opened.     The   » 
seals  then  give  us  the  introduction  to  the  book,  rather   ; 
than  (as  many  have  imagined,)  the    complete  contents,  j 
Beyond    the    seals    lie    the    trumpets,    contrasted    with 
the  seals  in  their  nature :   the  latter  are  divine  secrets 
opened  to  faith ;   the  trumpets,  loud-voiced   calls  to  the 
whole  earth.     These  go  on  to  the  setting  up  of  the  king- 
dom in  the  seventh  trumpet ;  and  after  that,  we  have  only 
separate  visions  giving  the  details  of  special  parts,  until 
in  the  nineteenth  chapter  we   reach  again  a  connected 
series  of  events,  stretching  from  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb 
through  the  millennium  to  the  great  white  throne. 

The  opening  of  the  seals,  then,  gives  us  events  intro- 
ductory, as  regards  both  time  and  character,  to  what 
follows,  and  which  have  their  importance  largely  in  this 
very  fact.  The  opening  of  them  is  the  key  to  the  book  ; 
for  when  they  are  opened,  the  book  is.  Yet  they  only  set 
us  upon  the  threshold  of  the  great  events  which  precede 
the  setting  up  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  the  time  of  the 
trumpets ;  while  on  the  other  hand  they  contain  the  germ 
and  prophecy  of  these,  which  spring  out  of  them  as  it 
were  necessarily. 

In  the  Lord's  great  prophecy  of  Matt,  xxiv.,  which 
similarly  sets  before   us  the  time  of  the  end,  we  have 


'i 


5^  "things  that  shall  be." 

before  the  period  of   special  tribulation  connected  witii 
the  abomination  of  desolation  in  the  holy  place,  an  order 
of  things  which  has  often  been  compared  with  what  we 
find  under  the  seals.     Nor  can  we  compare  them  without 
being  struck  with  the  resemblance.     The  Lord  specifies 
here,  as  warning-signs  of  His  coming,  false  Christs,  wars, 
and  rumors  of  wars,  famines,  pestilences,  and  earthquakes, 
and  persecution  of  His  people.     In  the  first  and  second 
{  seals  we  have  correspondingly  war — that  of  conquest  and 
I  civil  war ;  in  the  third,  famine  ;  in  the  fourth,  pestilence  ; 
',   in  the  fifth,  the  cry  of  the  martyrs  ;    and  in  the  sixth,  a 
■  great  earthquake,  though  perhaps  only  as  a  symbol  of 
(  national  convulsion.     Only  the  false  Christs  seem  to  be 
entirely  omitted,  and  some  have  therefore  imagined  that 
the  rider  on  the  white  horse  in  the  first  seal — coming,  it 
must   be   admitted,   in   the  right  place  to  preserve  the 
harmony  with  the  gospel, — might  fill  the  gap.     But  this 
,  we  must  look  at  later  on.     The  correspondence  is  suffi- 
ciently striking  to  confirm  strongly  the  thought  that  the 
seals  refer  to  the  same  period  as  does  the  passage  in  the 
gospel,   the  time  preceding   and   introducing   the   great 
tribulation  of  the  end. 

Looking  again  at  the  seals,  we  find  they  are  divided, 
j  like  most  other  septenary  series,  into  four  and  three ;  the 
I  first  four  being  marked  from  the  rest  by  the  horse  and 
rider  which  is  in  each,  and  by  the  call  of  the  living  beings 
by  which  each  is  introduced.  Their  relation  to  each  other 
is  plainer  (or  more  outward)  than  in  the  case  of  the  last 
three,  as  may  be  observed  also  in  such  series  generally. 
And  how  beautiful  and  reassuring  is  this  rhythm  of 
prophecy !  The  power  of  God  every-where  controlling 
with  perfect  ease  the  winds  and  waves  in  their  wildest 
uproar,  so  as  for  faith  to  produce  harmony  where  the 
natural  ear  finds  only  discord.  Significant  is  it  that  in  no 
other  book  of  Scripture  have  we  so  much  of  these  num- 
berings  and  divisions  and  proportionate  series  as  we  have 
in  the  book  of  Revelation. 


•,-*' 

^ 


THE    OPENIxNG    OF    THE    FIRST    FOUR    SEALS.  59 

The  call  of  the  cherubim  at  the  opening  of  the  first  four 
seals  is  also  significant.  It  is  to  be  noted  that  it  is  not 
addressed,  as  in  our  common  version,  to  John,  but  to  the 
riders  upon  the  horses,  who  then  come  forth.  It  is  not 
"Come  and  see,"  but  "Come,"  as  the  J^.V.,  with  the 
editors  in  general,  now  gives  it.  The  living  beings  utter 
their  call  also  in  the  order  in  which  they  have  been  seen 
in  the  vision  :  for  although  in  the  first  instance  it  is  said, 
^^one  of  the  four  living  beings,"  not  "///^  fii'st,''  yet  in  the 
case  of  the  other  seals  they  are  named  in  order — second, 
third,  and  fourth.  And  we  shall  find  a  correspondence  in 
each  case  between  the  living  being  and  the  one  who  »  ^ 
comes  forth  at  his  call. 

We  have  seen  that  the  cherubic  figures  speak  of  the 
government  of  God,  in  the  hands  of  those  who  are  com- 
missioned of  Him  to  exercise  it.     And  thus  the  vail  of  the     ^  J-*^ 
holiest,  the  type  of  the  Lord  in  manhood — "  the  vail,  that  '^ 
is  to  say.  His  flesh"  (Heb.  x.  20) — was  embroidered  with 
cherubim.     To  Him  they  have  peculiar  reference  as  the  ^ 

King  of  God's  appointment ;  and  the  four  gospels,  as  has  jVl/ft*/*^ 
been  seen  by  many,  give  in  their  central  features  these  fju*^*" 
cherubic  characters  in  the  Lord,  and  again  in  the  order  1 

in  which  the  book  of  Revelation  exhibits  them.  The  Lion  ^^C^v^ 
of  Judah  we  find  in  Matthew's  gospel,  where  Christ  is  frJK 
looked  at  as  Son  of  David.  Mark  gives  us,  on  the  other  j(i7^ 
hand,  the  young  bullock — the  Servant's  form.  Luke  meets  •^  tyt^ 
us  with  the  dear  and  familiar  features  of  manhood, — the  &  j  ^^ 
"face  of  a  man;"  while  in  John  we  have  the  bird  of  A*'^» 
heaven — the  vision  of  incarnate  Godhead.  These  aspects  t-^f^ 
of  the  Gospels  I  may  assume  to  be  familiar  to  my  readers*  -^ 

here  is  not  the  place  to  consider  them. 

Now  Christ  has  been  seen  in  heaven  in  a  double  char- 
acter : — the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  is  the  Lamb  that 
was  slain.      It  is  the  title  under  which  He  takes  every    ^tA^ 
thing,  for  it  is  that  which  shows  Him  as  the  One  who  has      r  ^» 
bought  every  thing  by  His  surrender  of  Himself  unto     ^ 
death.      He  is  the  "man"  who,   according  to   His  own 


> 


y 


60  "things  that  shall  be." 

parable,  having  found  in  a  field  hidden  treasure,  went  and 
sold  all  that  he  had,  and  bought  that  field.  "The  field," 
He  says  again  Himself,  "is  the  world." 

But  the  Lord's  death  had  also  another  side  to  it.  It 
was  man's  emphatic  rejection  of  God  in  His  dearest  gift 
to  him, — just  in  his  sweetest  and  most  wonderful  grace. 
While  every  gospel  has  a  different  tale  to  tell  of  what 
Christ  is,  every  gospel  has  also,  as  an  essential  feature, 
the  story  of  His  rejection  in  that  character.  As  Son  of 
David,  as  the  gracious  Minister  to  man's  need,  as  God's 
true  Man,  or  as  the  only  begotten  Son  from  heaven.  He 
is  still  the  crucified  One.  Man  has  cast  out  with  insult 
the  divine  Saviour, — has  refused  utterly  God's  help  and 
His  salvation.  What  must  be  the  result?  He  must — if 
in  spite  of  long-suffering  mercy  he  persist  in  this, — remain 
unhelped  and  unsaved.  He  has  cast  out  the  Son  of  God; 
and  why?  Because  he  was  His.essential  opposite:  "the 
prince  of  this  world  cometh,  and  hath  nothing  in  Me." 
The  world  which  rejects  Christ  as  finding  nothing  in  Him 
naturally  is  the  world  which  owns  Satan  as  its  prince.  He 
who  rejects  Christ  is  ready  for  Antichrist;  and  so  He  says 
to  the  Jews,  "  I  am  come  in  My  Father's  name,  and  ye 
■  receive  Me  not :  if  another  shall  come  in  his  own  name, 
him  ye  will  receive." 

Thus  man's  sin  foreshadows  the  judgment  which  must 
come  upon  him.  This  is  no  arbitrary  thing.  The  law  is 
the  same  physically  and  morally, — "Whatsoever  a  man 
soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap."  In  the  true  sense  here, 
man  is  the  maker  of  his  own  destiny. 

And  this  will  prepare  us  to  understand  the  cherubim-call 
for  judgment.  If  the  living  beings  represent  characters 
of  God's  government,  and  characters  also  which  are  found 
in  Christ,  we  can  find  here  a  double  reason  why,  Christ 
being  rejected,  the  judgments  come  forth  at  the  cheru- 
bim's call.  A  rejected  Saviour  calls  forth  a  destroyer. 
The  voice  of  the  lion  summons  to  his  career  the  white- 
horsed  conqueror. 


THE    OPENING    OF    THE    FIRST    FOUR    SEALS.  6 1 

This  shows  us,  then,  that  it  is  not  Christ  who  is  thus 
represented.     Many  have  supposed  so,  naturally  compar- 
ing with  it  the  vision  of  the  nineteenth  chapter,  where 
Christ  comes  forth  upon  a  white  horse  to  the  judgment  of 
the  earth.    But  the  comparison  really  proves  the  opposite.  J 
We   have    not,    certainly,    under   the   first   seal,    already? 
reached  the  time  of  Christ's  appearing.     And  the  symbol^ 
of  judgment  is  unsuited  for  the  going  forth  of  the  blessed  j 
gospel  of  peace.      The  gospel-dispensation  is  over  now,l 
and  the  sheaves  of  its  golden  harvest  are  gathered  intoj 
the   barn.     Not   peace   is  it  now,  but  war.     Peace  they 
would  not  have  at  His  hands:  its  alternative  they  have  no 
choice  as  to  receiving.     Christ  received  would  have  been 
an  enemy  only  to  man's  enemies.     Power  would   have 
been    used    on    his   behalf,    and    not   against   him :  that 
rejected,  the  foes  that  would  have  been  put  down  rise  up, 
and  hold  him  captive. 

This,  then,  is  the  key  to  what  we  have  under  the  first 
seal :  a  few  words  must  suffice  for  the  present  as  to  the 
other  details. 

The  horse  is  noted  in  Scripture  for  its  strength,  and  as 
the  instrument  of  war :    other  thoughts  believed    to   be         t  \ 
associated  with  it  seem  scarcely  to  be  sustained.     It  indi-t  ^^ 
cates,  therefore,  aggressive  power,  and  a  7e'/iite  horse  is  j  ^(jj*^ 
well  known  as  the  symbol  of  victory.    In  the  rider,  who  of*  ^, 

course  governs  the  horse,  there  seems  generally  indicated  n^v^^ 
an  agent  of  divine  providence,  though  it  may  be  not 
merely  unintentionally  so,  but  even  in  spirit  hostile.  The 
rider  here  is  not  characterized  save  by  his  acts.  His  bow 
is  his  weapon  of  offense,  which  speaks  not  of  hand-to- 
hand  conflict,  but  of  wounds  inflicted  at  a  distance.  The 
crown  given  Aim  seems  certainly  to  imply,  as  another  has 
said,  that  he  obtains  royal  or  imperial  dignity  as  the  fruit 
of  his  success,  though  by  whom  the  crown  is  given  does 
not  appear.  Altogether  we  have  but  a  slight  sketch  of  the 
one  presented  to  us  here,  and  one  which  might  fit  many  of 
whom  history  speaks;  but  this  is  dir^i^ie  history,and  the  per- 


Vt^ 


62  *' THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

son  before  us  must  have  an  important  connection  with  the 
purposes  of  God,  to  earn  for  him  the  leading  place  which  he 
fills  in  the  beginning  of  these  visions  of  earthly  doom. 

We  naturally  ask,  Can  we  find  no  intimations  elsewhere 
of  this  conqueror?  It  appears  to  me  we  may;  and  I  hope 
to  give  further  on  what  I  think  Scripture  teaches  as  to  it, 
not  as  pretending  to  dogmatize  as  to  what  is  obscure,  but 
presenting  simply  the  grounds  of  my  own  judgment  for 
the  consideration  of  others.  If  it  be  not  the  exact  truth, 
it  may  yet  lead  in  the  direction  of  the  truth. 

Some    preliminary    points    have,  however,   first   to    be 
settled;  and  for  the  present  it  will  be  better  to  content 
ourselves  with  noting  the  detail  as  to  this  first  rider,  and 
to  pass  on. 
tK  The  second  living  creature   is  the  patient  ox.     True 

figure  of  God's  laborer,  strength  only  used  in  lowly  toil  for 
man,  it  speaks  to  us  of  Him  who  on  God's  part  labored 
to  bring  man  back  to  Him,  and  plow  again  the  channels 
back  to  the  forsaken  source,  so  that  the  perennial  streams 
might  fill  them,  and  bring  again  to  earth  the  old  fertility. 
Yet  here  the  ox  calls  forth  one  to  whom  it  is  "given  to 
take  peace  from  the  earth,  and  that  they  should  slay  one 
another."  Civil  war  is  bidden  forth  by  that  which  is  the 
type  of  love's  patient  ministry.  Yes,  and  how  fitly !  For 
just  as  if  received,  God  having  His  place,  all  else  would 
have  its  own;  so,  rejected,  all  must  be  out  of  joint  and  in 
disorder.  Man  in  rebellion  against  God,  the  very  beasts 
of  the  earth  rebel  in  turn.  Having  cast  off  affection  where 
most  natural,  all  natural  affection  withers.  Man  has 
initiated  a  disorder  which  he  cannot  stop  where  he  desires, 
but  which  will  spread  until  all  sweet  and  holy  ties  are 
sundered,  and  love  is  turned  (as  it  may  be  turned)  to 
deadliest  opposition. 
y^^  In  the  third  seal  the  third  living  creature  calls:  the  one 
J^  with  the  face  of  a  man.  At  his  call,  famine  comes.  We 
^  see  a  black  horse,  and  he  that  sits  on  him  has  a  pair  of 

balances  in  his  hand;  and  there  is  heard  in  the  midst  of 


THE    OPENING    OF    THE    FIRST    FOUR    SEALS.  63 

the  living  beings  a  voice  which  cries,  "  x\  quart  of  wheat 
for  a  denarius,  and  three  quarts  of  barley  for  a  denarius, 
and  see  thou  hurt  not  the  oil  and  the  wine."  A  denarius, 
which  was  the  ordinary  day's  earnings  of  a  laboring  man, 
would  usually  buy  eight  quarts  of  wheat,  one  of  which 
would  scarcely  suffice  for  daily  bread.  It  is  evident, 
therefore,  that  this  implies  great  scarcity. 

The  congruity  of  this  judgment  with  the  call  of  the 
living  being  is  not  so  easy  to  be  understood  as  in  the 
former  cases.  Were  we  permitted  to  spiritualize  it,  and 
think  of  what  Amos  proclaims,  "  Not  a  famine  of  bread, 
nor  a  thirst  of  water,  but  of  hearing  the  words  of  the 
Lord,  such  a  famine  would,  on  the  other  hand,  suit  well: 
for  *'the  face  of  a  man"  reminds  us  how  God  has  met  us 
in  His  love,  and  revealed  Himself  to  us,  inviting  our  con- 
fidence, speaking  in  our  familiar  mother-tongue,  studying 
to  be  understood  and  appreciated  by  us;  and  assuredly 
this  familiar  intercourse  with  Him  is  what  we  want  for 
heart-satisfaction.  '^  Lord,  show  us  the  Father,  and  it 
sufficeth  us,"  was  not  an  unintelligent  request  so  far  as 
man's  need  is  itself  concerned.  The  unintelligence  was 
in  what  the  Lord  points  out,  "  Have  I  been  so  long  time 
with  you,  and  hast  thou  not  known  Me,  Philip?  He  that 
hath  seen  Me  hath  seen  the  Father." 

Here,  then,  man's  need  is  fully  met.  The  hunger  of 
his  soul  is  satisfied.  The  bread  from  heaven  is  what  the 
Son  of  Man  alone  gives,  and  it  is  meat  that  "endures  to 
everlasting  life."  And  this  rejected, — the  true  manna 
loathed  and  turned  from, — what  remains  but  a  wilderness 
indeed,  a  barren  soil  without  a  harvest  ? 

But  this  gives  only  a  hint  of  the  real  connection:  for 
this  seal  following  the  other  two,  seems  evidently  to  give 
a  result  of  these.  What  more  simple  and  natural  than  I 
that  after  conquest  and  civil  war, — above  all,  the  latter, — 
the  untilled  soil  should  leave  men  destitute  ?  Still  more, 
that  the  oil  and  the  wine,  which  do  not  need  in  the  same 
way  man's  continual  care,  remain  on  the  whole  uninjured?  - 


64  "things  that  shall  be." 

An  ordinary  famine  seems  to  be  intended,  therefore;  yet 
the  connection  has  been  hinted  as  already  said:  for  the 
natural  is  every  where  a  type  of  the  spiritual,  and  depends 
on  it,  as  the  lesser  upon  the  greater.  Our  common  mercies 
are  thus  ours  through  Christ  alone.  Take  away  the  one, 
the  other  goes.  A  natural  famine  is  the  due  result  of  the 
rejection  of  the  spiritual  food.  With  the  substance  goes 
the  shadow  also. 

That  the  third  living  creature  calls  for  famine,  then, 
may  in  this  way  be  understood,  and  it  shows  how  the 
\^^  greater  the  blessing  lost,  the  deeper  the  curse  retained. 
^    Christ  rejected  strikes  every  natural  good. 

And  when  we  come  to  the  fourth  seal,  and  the  flying 
eagle  surrimons  forth  the  pale  horse  with  its  rider  Death, 
Hades  following  with  him  to  engulf  the  souls  of  the  slain, 
the  same  lesson  is  to  be  read,  becoming  only  plainer. 
John's  is  the  gospel  to  which  this  flying  eagle  corresponds, 
— the  gospel  of  love  and  life  and  light,  each  fathomless, 
each  a  mystery,  each  divine.  Blot  this  out — reject,  refuse 
it,  what  remains?  What  but  the  awful  eternal  opposite, 
which  the  death  here  as  from  the  wrath  of  God  intro- 
duces to  ? 

These  initial  judgments,  then,  are  seen  to  speak  of  that 
which  brings  the  judgment.  The  day  of  harvest  is  begin- 
ning, and  man  is  being  called  to  reap  what  he  has  sown. 
The  darkness  which  begins  to  shut  all  in  is  the  darkness 
not  merely  of  absent,  but  rejected  light. 

This,  in  its  full  dread  reality,  no  one  that  is  Christ's  can 
ever  know.  Yet  before  we  leave  it,  it  is  well  for  us  to 
realize  how  far  for  us  also  rejected  light  may  be,  and  must 
be,  darkness.  We  are  in  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  children 
of  the  light,  delivered  from  the  authority  of  darkness. 
Around  us  are  poured  the  blessed  beams  of  gladdening 
and  enfranchising  day.  And  yet  this  renders  any  real 
darkness  in  which  we  may  be  practically  the  more  solemn. 
It  too  is  not  a  mere  negative,  not  a  mere  absence  of  light, 
but  light  shut  out.     And    darkness   itself   is  a  kingdom, 


THE    LAST    THREE    SEALS.  65 

rebellious  indeed,  yet  subject  to  the  god  of  this  world. 
To  shut  out  the  light — any  light — is  to  shut  in  the  dark- 
ness, and  thus  far  to  join  the  revolt  against  God  and  good. 

And  the  necessary  judgment  follows, — for  us,  a  Father's 
discipline,  that  we  may  learn,  in  our  self-chosen  way, 
what  evil  is,  but  learn  it,  that  at  last  we  may  be  what  we 
must  be,  if  we  are  to  dwell  with  Him,  "partakers  of  His 
holiness."  But  will  it  not  be  loss, — aye,  even  eternal  loss, 
to  have  had  to  learn  it  so  ? 

Who  would  force  the  love  that  yearns  over  us  to 
chasten,  instead  of  comforting, — to  minister  sorrow,  when 
it  should  and  would  bring  gladness  only?  There  is  no 
MERE  NEGATIVE.  In  that  in  which  we  are  not  for  Christ, 
we  are  against  Him.  To  shut  Him  out  is  a  wrong  and 
insult  to  Him.  And  these  quick-eyed  cherubim,  careful 
for  the  "  holy,  holy,  holy  God  "  they  celebrate,  will  they 

The  Last  Three  Seals.  (Rev.  vi.  9-17;  viii.  i.)      v^  *    • 

The  first  four  seals  have  thus  shown  to  us  judgments  ^^ 

poured    out    upon    the    earth, —  judgments    which    are  H*"*^^ 
the    necessary   result    of    the    rejection    of   Christ,    now    V^ 
completed  by  the  refusal  of  the  gospel  for  so  many  cen-  ^  *"   ^ 
turies  of  divine  long-suffering.     The  fifth  opens  to  us  a 
very  different  scene:  here  are  beheld  "under  the  altar, 
the  souls  of  them  that  were  beheaded  for  the  word  of 
God  and  for  the  testimony  which  they  held."   Persecution 
has  broken  out  against  the  people  of  God  ;  for  such  there 
are  still  upon  the  earth,  though  the  saints  of  the  present 
time  are  with  the  Lord  in  glory.     Heaven  being  filled, 
the  Spirit  of  God  has  been  at  work  to  fill  the  earth  with 
blessing  ;  and  here,  as  we  know,  God's  ancient  people  are 
the  first  subjects  of  His  converting  grace.     The  remnant 
of  that  time  could  be  fitly  represented  by  those  disciples 
of  the  Lord  to  whom  He  addressed  the  great  prophecy  of 


not,  must  they  not,  call  forth  the  judgment  answering  to 
the  sin  ?  ^j^ 


66  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

His  coming,  Jewish  as  they  were  still  in  conceptions  and 
in  heart;  and  to  these,  after  such  warnings  as  had  been 
fulfilled  in  the  former  seals,  He  says,  "Then  shall  they 
deliver  you  up  to  tribulation,  and  shall  kill  3^ou  ;  and  ye 
shall  be  hated  of  all  the  nations  (the  Gentiles)  for  My 
name's  sake."  The  two  passages  agree  with  one  another 
and  with  nature. 

Woe  unto  those  who  in  a  day  of  wrath  upon  the  world 
for  the  rejection  of  Christ  go  into  it  to  insist  upon  His 
claim  !  And  that  is  what  is  meant  by  "the  gospel  of  the 
kingdom''  which  the  Lord  tells  us  "shall  be  preached  in 
all  the  world  for  a  witness  to  all  the  nations,  and  then 
shall  the  end  come"  (Matt.  xxiv.  14).  "Glad  tidings" 
though  it  may  be  that  the  kingdom  of  righteousness  at 
last  is  to  be  set  up,  and  the  King  Himself  is  at  hand, — to 
those  who  reject  Him,  it  is  the  announcement  of  their 
doom.  And  we  see  under  this  fifth  seal  what  will  be  the 
^  result.  The  Word  of  God  will  again  have  its  martyrs, 
but  whose  cry  will  not  be  with  Stephen,  "  Lord,  lay  not 
this  sin  to  their  charge  !  "  but  with  the  martyrs  of  the  Old 
Testament,  "The  Lord  look  upon  it,  and  require  it!" 
"And  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  '  How  long,  O  Lord, 
holy  and  .true,  dost  Thou  not  judge,  and  avenge  our  blood 
on  them  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  ? '  " 

The  cry  is  now  in  place,  as  is  the  pleading  for  grace  in 
a  day  of  grace.  Judgment  is  indeed  to  come,  and  the 
time  when  God  "maketh  inquisition  for  blood"  (Ps.  ix. 
12);  but  though  at  hand,  there  is  yet  a  certain  delay,  for, 
alas !  even  yet,  the  measure  of  man's  iniquity  is  not 
reached.  "And  white  robes  were  given  unto  every  one 
of  them  ;  and  it  was  said  unto  them  that  they  should  rest 
yet  for  a  little  season,  until  their  fellow-servants  and  their 
brethren,  who  should  be  killed  as  they  were,  should  be 
fulfilled." 

Two  seasons  of  persecution  seem  to  be  marked  here, 
though  with  no  necessary  interval  between  them  ;  though 
the  crash  that  follows  under  the  sixth  seal,  with  the  terror 


THE    LAST    THREE    SEALS.  67 

thus    (if   but   for   awhile)   produced,    might   well    cause 
such   a   cessation    of   persecution    for   the    time    being. 
Whether  this  be  so  or  not,  the  two  periods  are  surely  here 
distinguished.     A  much  later  passage  (chap.  xx.  4)  simi- 
larly distinguishes  them,  while  it  enables  us  to  recognize 
the  latter  of  these  periods  as  that  of  the  beast  under  his 
last  head  :  "And  I  saw  thrones,  and  they  sat  on  them  " —  ^ 
those  already  enthroned   in   chap.  iv.  and  v., — "and  the 
souls  of  those  that  were  beheaded  for  the  witness  of  Jesus 
and  for  the  word  of  God," — those  seen  under  the  fifth 
seal, — "and  such  as  had  not  worshiped  the  beast,  nor  his 
image,  and  had  not  received  his  mark  upon  their  fore-  , 
heads  or  in  their  hands" — here  are  their  "brethren  that  j 
were  to  be  slain   as  they  were," — "  and  they  lived  and  f 
reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years." 

The  distinction  between  these  two  periods  proves  the\ 
introductory  character  of  the  seals,  at  least  as  far  as  we  \ 
have  gone.    The  time  of  the  greaf  tribulation  is  not  come;  1 
just  as,  in  Matt.  xxiv.  9,  the  persecution   prophesied  of  ' 
precedes  it.      Thus  the  martyrs  here,  while  owned  and 
approved,  have  yet  to  wait  for  the  answer  to  their  prayer. 
Some  answer,  it  need  not  be  doubted,  the  next  seal  gives; 
but  plainly,  it  cannot  be  the  full  one  :   there  are  decisive 
reasons  for  refusing  the  thought  entertained  by  many, 
that  it  is  really  the  "great  day  of   the   Lamb's  wrath" 
which   is  come.      Men's  guilty  consciences  make  them 
judge  it  to  be  this;  but  that  is  only  their  interpretation, 
not  the  divine  one. 

A  terrible  break-up  of  the  existing  state  of  things  it  is  : 
"And  I  beheld  when  he  had  opened  the  sixth  seal,  and  lo, 
there  was  a  great  convulsion;  and  the  sun  became  as 
sackcloth  of  hair,  and  the  whole  moon  became  as  blood  ; 
and  the  stars  of  heaven  fell  unto  the  earth,  as  a  fig-tree 
casteth  her  unripe  figs  when  she  is  shaken  of  a  great  wind. 
And  the  heaven  was  removed  as  a  scroll  when  it  is  rolled 
up,  and  every  mountain  and  island  were  moved  out  of 
then-  places.    And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  the  princes, 


68  "THINGS   THAT    SHALL    BE." 

and  the  chief  captains,  and  the  rich,  and  the  strong,  and 
every  bondman  and  freeman,  hid  themselves  in  the  caves 
and  in  the  rocks  of  the  mountains  ;  and  they  say  to  the 
mountains  and  to  the  rocks,  Fall  on  us,  and  hide  us  from 
the  face  of  Him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  from  the 
wrath  of  the  Lamb;  for  the  great  day  of  His  wrath  is 
come,  and  who  shall  be  able  to  stand  ?  " 

Well  may  it  seem  to  be  so  ;  and  just  such  physical 
signs  are  announced  in  Joel  (ii.  31  and  iii.  15)  before  "the 
great  and  terrible  day  of  the  Lord  shall  come."  Just  so 
also  the  Lord  speaks  of  what  shall  take  place  after  the 
tribulation  :  "  Immediately  after  the  tribulation  of  those 
days  shall  the  sun  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not 
give  her  light,  and  the  stars  shall  fall  from  heaven,  and 
the  powers  of  the  heavens  shall  be  shaken;  and  then  shall 
appear  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  Man  in  heaven  ;  and  then 
shall  the  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn,  and  they  shall  see  the 
Son  of  Man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power 
V  and  great  glory"  (Matt.  xxiv.  29,  30). 
^v  The  sixth  seal  precedes  the  tribulation,  however,  as  we 

^    have  seen  ;  except  this  could  occur  between  the  fifth  and 
^>     sixth,  and  were  passed  silently  over.     This  would  be  a 
^  very  violent  supposition  in  view  of  what  we  have  already 

seen,  and  of  what  follows  the  sixth  seal  itself,  as  we  may 
^>r     *  ^ee  presently.      The  rolling  up  the  heavens  as  a  scroll, 
\  ,Jy^  moreover,  goes  beyond  the  language  of  Joel  or  of  the 
Lord,  carrying  us  on,  indeed,  to  the  passing  away  of  the 
heaven  and  earth  which  precedes  the  coming   in  of  that 
^^  new  heavens  and  earth  in  which  dwelleth  righteousness" 
(2  Pet.  iii.  13).     But  this  is  impossible  to  be  thought  of  as 
^  ?  occurring  in  this  place.    The  only  other  practicable  inter- 
j.  ^     pretation,  therefore,  must  be  the  true  one, — the  language 
^  is  figurative,  and  the  signs  are  not  physical,  though  de- 

signedly given  in  terms  which  remind  us  of  what  indeed 
is  swiftly  approaching,  though  not  yet  actually  come, 
.       And  in  this  way  the  general  significance  is  not  difficult 
I  to  apprehend.      The  heavens  in  this  way  represent  the 


THE    LAST    THREE    SEALS.  69 

seat  of  authority.     Nebuchadnezzar  had  to  learn  that  the^ 
''heavens  rule"  (Dan.  iv.  26).     And  they  represent  figu-' 
ratively  rule  also  on  the  part  of  man.     In  the  Old-Testa- * 
ment  prophets,  we  have  similar  pictures  to  that  before  us 
here  (Isa.  xiii.  10;  xxxiv.  4),  where  the  context  shows  that 
national   convulsions   are    prophesied   of.        Here,    it   is>      ^ »  ^ 
evidently  the  collapse  of  governments,  the  shaking  of  all'^f^  ^ 
that  seemed  most  settled  and  secure.    All  classes  of  men,.;        ^ 
— high  and  low,  rich  and  poor,  are  involved  in  the  effect 
of  it,  and  their  stricken  consciences  ascribe  it  as  judgment    ,t^>*^ 
to  the  wrath  of  God  and  the  Lamb.     In  their  alarm,  they 
imagine  He  is  just  about  to  appear;  but  He  does  not,  and     t^^ 
the  panic  passes  away.     A  new  state  of  things  is  intro-  ^    ^ 
duced,  of  which  the  features  unfold  themselves. 

When  we  might  now  expect  the  opening  of  the  seventh 
seal,  we  find  instead  the  parenthetic  visions  of  the  seventh  , 
chapter;  and  there  is  a  similar  interruption  in  exactly  the 
same  place  in  the  trumpet-series:  the  vision  of  the  little t 
book  and  the  two  witnesses  comes  in  between  the  sixth  j 
and  seventh  trumpets.    This  exact  correspondence  claims  \ 
our  attention.     One  result  of  it  is,  to  make  the  septenary 
series  an  octave,  and  to  give,  therefore,  to  the  last  seal 
and  the  last  trumpet  alike  the  character  of  a  seventh  and 
yet  of  an  eighth  division.     Let  us  inquire  for  a  moment 
into  the  significance  of  these  numbers  in  this  connection. 

The  numbers  are,  in  their  scriptural  meaning,  in  some  ^ 

sense  opposite  to  one  another.     *'  Seven  "  speaks  of  com-|^    ^J 
pletion,  perfection,  and  so  cessation.     Seven  notes  give!        *    , 
the  whole  compass  in  music.     On  the  seventh  day  Godi       Q 
ended  all  His  work  which  He  had  made,  and  rested.   The 
eighth  day  is  the  first  of  a  new  week, — a  new  beginning. 
The  eighth  note  is  similarly  a  new  beginning.    The  essen- 
tial idea  attaching  to  the  number  in  its  symbolic  use  in ! 
Scripture  is  that  of  what  is  new,  in  contrast  with  the  old 
which  is  passed  away, — as  the  new  covenant,  the  new  crea- 
tion.     As  outside  the  perfect  seven,  it  adds  no  other 
thought. 


A- 


70  "things  that  shall  be." 

\   \^\^  .Now  if  we  will  remember  the  character  of  these  seals, 

i      Xjjf^^^  they  keep  the  book  closed,  it  follows  of  course  that 

O^^  the  seventh  seal  opened  opens  for  the  first  time  really  ^/le 

X     ,i^^^^^^^  itself.     This  in  fact  introduces  us  therefore  to  what 

dA^     is  a  new  thing.      We  were  up  to  this  time  in  the  porch  or 

j^^     vestibule  merely.     Immediately  the  last  door  is  opened 

\    we  are  in  the  building  itself. 

Does  not  this  account  for  the  fact  that  on  its  opening 
there  is  simply  a  brief  pause — "  silence  in  heaven  for  the 
space  of  half  an  hour," — and  then  come  the  trumpets? 
•  This  is  exactly  according  to  the  seven-eight  character  of 
the  closing  seal.  One  period  is  over,  and  with  this  we 
begin  another.  The  last  seal  is  open,  and  this  discloses, 
not  a  bit  more  introduction,  but  the  book  itself. 

The  seventh  trumpet  will  be  found  in  these  respects 
very  like  the  seventh  seal.  It  too  is  brief ;  and  while 
closing  the  trumpet-series  of  judgment — in  fact  the  three 
special  woes, — opens  into  another  condition  of  things,  not 
woe  at  all,  but  the  time  long  looked  for,  when  "the  king- 
dom of  the  world  is  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord,  and 
of  His  Christ,  and  He  shall  reign  forever  and  ever"  (chap, 
xi.  15).     Thus  the  seven-eight  structure  justifies  itself  in 


^J5*5*D0th  series,  of  seals  and  trumpets. 


But  before  the  seventh  seal  comes  a  parenthetic  vision, 
■  ^y^  which  is  not  a  part  of  the  seals  really,  but  a  disclosure  of 
what  is  in  the  mind  of  the  Lord,  His  purpose  of  grace 
fulfilling  steadfastly  amid  all  the  strife  and  sorrow  and 
sin  which  might  seem  to  prevail  every  where.  Let  us 
now  give  it  our  careful  attention. 

The  Parenthetic  Visions: — The  Sealed  of 
Israel.    (Chap.  vii.  1-8.) 

An  objection  may  be  taken  to  our  interpretation  of  the 
convulsion  under  the  sixth  seal, — that  it  is  not  in  har- 
mony with  that  which  we  have  given  of  the  earlier  ones. 
In  these,  the  "earth,"  for  instance,  was  assumed  to  be 


THE    SEALED    OF    ISRAEL.  7I 

literally  that ;  in  the  latter,  it  is  taken  in  a  figurative 
sense  ;  and  it  may  be  urged  that  this  want  of  uniformity 
in  interpretation  allows  us  to  make  of  these  visions  very 
much  what  we  will, — in  fact  makes  their  alleged  meaning 
altogether  inconsistent  and  unreliable. 

This  is  a  mistake,  though  a  very  natural  one,  and  it  needs 
to  be  examined  and  shown  to  be  such,  or  else  a  serious 
difficulty  will  remain  in  the  way  of  further  progress,  if 
such  indeed  be  possible.  For  the  same  inconsistency,  if 
it  be  really  that,  will  appear  again  and  again  as  we  pro- 
ceed with  our  study  of  the  book  before  us;  we  shall  be 
using  the  same  terms  now  in  a  literal  and  again  in  a  fig- 
urative sense,  as  it  may  appear,  arbitrarily,  but  in  fact  as 
compelled  by  necessity  to  do  so,  or  according  to  the  law 
of  the  highest  reason. 

Figures  pervade  our  common  speech,  even  the  most 
literal  and  prosaic, — disguised  for  us  often  by  the  mere  p^^>^ 
fact  that  they  are  used  so  commonly.     We  employ  them,  "^      Q 
too,  with  a  latitude  of  meaning  which  in  no  wise  affects  . 

their  intelligibility  to  us.  They  are  used  with  a  certain  ^  V^ 
freedom  in  which  there  is  nothing  arbitrary,  but  the  re-  ^ 
verse.  They  are  used  rather  in  the  interests  of  clearness 
and  intelligibility,  the  main  end  sought,  which  governs 
indeed  their  use.  It  is  simple  enough  to  say  that  the 
whole  art  of  language  is  in  clearness  of  expression,  and 
that  the  right  use  of  figures  is  therefore  for  this  end. 

Now,  in  visions,  such  as  we  have  in  Revelation,  figures, 
it  is  true,  have  a  much  larger  place  :  the  meaning  of  the 
vision  as  a  w/io/e  is  symbolic — figurative.  Yet  this  does 
not  at  all  suppose  that  every  feature  in  it  is  so,  and  in  no 
case  perhaps  is  this  really  true.  ,    , 

Take  the  fifth  seal  as  a  sufficient  example, — where  the  \\-\^  ^ 
altar  is  figurative,  and  so  are  the  white  robes,  but  the    ^  ^^ 
killing  of  their  brethren  is  real  and  literal.    This  mingling 
of  the  literal  and  symbolic  in  one  vision  makes  it  plain  i     ^^ 
that  they  may  be  and  will  be  found  mingled  through  the  ^*^, 
whole  series  of  visions.     And  if  it  be  asked,  How,  then. 


•t. 


72  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

are  we  to  discern  the  one  from  the  other?  the  answer  will 
be,  that  each  case  must  be  judged  separately, — the  sense 
^    that  is  simplest,  most  self-consistent,  and  agreeable  to  the 
<^*  context  being  surely  the  right  one.     God  writes,  as  man 

\A  does,  to  be  understood,  and  intelligibility  gives  the  law, 

^  therefore,  to  all  the  rest.  It  is  reassuring  indeed  to  x&- 
*Jb*  ^  member  this:  plenty  of  deep  things  there  are  in  the  Word 
^^  of  God,  and  more  perhaps  than  any  where  else  are  they 
to  be  found  in  the  book  of  Revelation,  but  the  mystery  in 
them  is  never  from  mere  verbal  concealments  or  misty 
speech,  but  from  defect  in  us, — spiritual  dullness  and  in- 
capacity. This  most  difficult  of  all  Scripture-books  God 
has  stamped  with  the  name  of  "  Revelation." 

These  thoughts  are  not  an  unnecessary  introduction  to 
^^'^.   the  parenthetic  visions  between  the  sixth  and  the  seventh 
^  u"*  V^seals,  where  just  such  questions  have  been  asked  as  to  the 
.  V       sealing  of  a  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  out  of  every 
J^        tribe  of  the  children  of  Israel.    Is  it  in  fact  Israel  literally, 
V  X      or  a  typical,  spiritual  Israel  that  we  are  to  think  of  ?   The 
^*^*  "^     latter  is  the  thought  of  expositors  generally,  though  by 
no  means  all;  and  we  are  told  (as  by  Lange,  for  instance,) 
that  if  we  take  Israel  literally  to  be  meant,  then  we  must 
take  all  the  other  details, — the  exact  number  sealed,  etc., 
— literally  also:  to  do  which  would  not  involve  any  ab- 
surdity, but  which  we  have   seen  to  be  riot  in  the  least 
necessitated.     We  are  free,  as  to  all  matters  of  the  kind, 
to  ask.  What  is  the  most  suitable  meaning?  and  to  find  in 
this  suitability,  the  justification  of  one  view  or  the  other. 
The  context  argues  for  the  literal  sense.    The  innumer- 
able multitude  seen  afterward  before  the  throne,  "out  of 
>"  all  nations  and  kindreds  and  peoples  and  tongues,"  shows 

»vt      J^us  plainly  a  characteristically  Gentile  gathering,  and  that 
lw*        they  are  in  some  sense  in  contrast  with  the  Israelitish  one 
\V,v^  seems  clear.     Taken  together,  they  throw  light  upon  one 
J^       another,  and  display  the  divine  mercy  both  to  Jews  and 
Gentiles  in  the  latter  days.     While  the  separateness  of 
these  companies,  and  the  priority  given  to  Israel,  agree 


THE    SEALED    OF    ISRAEL.  73 

with  the  character  of  a  time  when  the  Christian  Church' 
being  removed  to  heaven,  the  old  distinctions  are  again 
in  force.  We  are  again  in  the  Hne  of  Old-Testament 
prophecy,  and  of  Jewish  "promises"  (Rom.  ix.  4);  ''the 
Lion  of  the  tribe  of  JudaJi''  has  taken  the  book. 

Even  apart  from  the  context,  (decisive  as  this  is),  the 
enumeration  of  the  tribes  would  seem  to  make  the  descrip- 
tion literal  enough,  even  although  Dan  be  at  present  ' 
missing  from  among  them,  and  supposing  no  reason^^  ^9->^ 
could  be  assigned  for  this.*  J udah  too  is  in  her  place  as -^  .  0 
the  royal  tribe:  not  the  natural  birthright,  but  divine  ^  ^ 
favor,  controls  the  order  here.  Every  thing  assures  usj  ^^^ 
that  it  is  indeed  Israel,  and  as  a  nation,  that  is  now  in  the  J  ^'^  ^ 
scene.                 '"^          — .-^-         ^                                       ^ 

Let  us  turn  back  now  to  see  how  she  is  introduced  to  us. 

"After  this,  I  saw  four  angels  standing  at  the  four 
corners  of  the  earth,  holding  the  four  winds  of  the  earth, 
that  no  wind  should  blow  on  the  earth,  or  on  the  sea,  or 
upon  any  tree.  And  I  saw  another  angel  ascend  from 
the  sunrising,  having  the  seal  of  the  living  God;  and  he 
cried  with  a  great  voice  to  the  four  angels  to  whom  it 
was  given  to  hurt  the  earth  and  the  .sea,  saying,  'Hurt 
not  the  earth,  nor  the  sea,  nor  the  trees,  till  we  shall  have 
sealed  the  servants  of  our  God  in  their  foreheads.' " 

Here  it  is  manifest  that,  terrible  as  have  been  the  judjg- 
ments  already,  far  worse  are  at  hand.  The  four  winds — 
expressive  of  all  the  agencies  of  natural  evil — are  about 
to  blow  together  upon  the  earth,  under  the  control  of 
spiritual  powers  (the  angels)  which  guide  them  according 
to  the  supreme  will  of  God.  It  is  the  "day  of  the  Lord 
of  Hosts  upon  every  one  that  is  proud  and  lofty,  and 
upon  every  one  that  is  lifted  up;  and  he  shall  be  brought 
low"  (Isa.  ii.  12).  And  as  nothing  lifts  itself  u^  as  the 
tree  does,  so  the  "tree"  is  specially  marked  out  here:  the 
ax  is  laid  at  the  root  of  it.     The  passage  in  Isaiah  goes 

*Dan  and  ZebuJpn  are  both  omitted  in  the  genealogical  lists  of 
1  Chronicles, 


74  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

on  quite  similarly:  ''And  upon  all  the  cedars  of  Lebanon 
that  are  high  and  lifted  up,  and  upon  all  the  oaks  of 
Bashan  "  (v.  13). 

But  this  becomes,  as  in  the  Baptist's  lips,  a  general  sen- 
tence upon  man  as  man,  from  which  none  may  escape 
but  as  in  the  Lord's  grace  counted  worthy.  Thus  the 
sealing  becomes  quite  evidently  the  counterpart  of  what 
we  find  in  the  ninth  of  Ezekiel,  though  there  the  range  of 
judgment  is  more  limited.  "And  He  called  to  the  man 
clothed  in  linen,  which  had  the  writer's  inkhorn  by  his 
side;  and  the  Lord  said  unto  him,  'Go  through  the  midst 
of  the  city,  through  the  midst  of  Jerusalem,  and  set  a 
mark  upon  the  foreheads  of  the  men  that  sigh  and  cry  for 
all  the  abominations  that  be  done  in  the  midst  thereof.' 
■  And  to  the  others  He  said  in  mine  hearing,  '  Go  ye  after 
him  through  the  city,  and  smite;  let  not  your  eye  spare, 
neither  have  ye  pity;  slay  utterly  old  and  young,  both 
maids  and  little  children  and  women,  but  come  not  near 
any  man  upon  whom  is  the  mark.' " 

The  sealing  is  as  evidently  preservative  as  the  "mark" 
is.  They  are  both  upon  the  forehead, — open  and  mani- 
fest. If  we  look  on  to  the  fourteenth  chapter  here,  we 
shall  find  upon  the  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  there 
(a  company  as  to  the  identity  of  which  with  the  present  one 
it  "is  not  yet  time  to  ask  the  question,)  the  name  of  the 
Lamb's  Father  written,  and  the  seal  marks  thus  undoubt- 
edly to  whom  they  belong. 

Let  us  notice  also  that  we  are  just  approaching  the  time 

here  in  which  the  beast  also  will  have  his  mark,  if   not 

always  on  the  forehead,  at  least  in  the  hands  (chap.  xiii. 

16).    The  time  of  unreserved  confession  of  one  master  or 

the  other  will  then   have  come;  and  no  divided   service 

will  be  any  longer  possible.     The  beast  "boycotts"  (they 

{  have  already  invented  both  the  f/iing  and  the  expression 

j  for  him,)  those  who  do  not  receive  his  mark:  those  who 

',  do  receive  it  are  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire  (chap.  xiii.  17; 

j  xiv.  9,  10). 


THE    SEALED    OF    ISRAEL.  75 

The  sealing  is  angelic, — a  very  different  thing   there- 
fore from  present  sealing  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  from 
any  power  or  gift  of  the  Spirit.     No  angel  could   confer 
this,  and  the  creaturehood  of  the  angel  here  is  manifest 
from  his  words,  "  Till  we  have  sealed  the  servants  of  our 
God  in  their  foreheads."   The  "  we  "  shows  that  more  than    V 
one  execute  the  ministry,  and  they  that  do  this  speak  of 
God  as  "our  God."     This  is  decisive,  apart  from  all  dis- 
pensational  considerations.     But  in  what  the  sealing  con-"^ 
sists  it  seems  scarcely  possible  to  say:  the  effect  is,  that 
the  people  of  God  are  manifested  as  His,  and  preserved 
thus  from  the   judgments  which   are   ready  to  be  sentj 
upon  it. 

''The  seal  of  the  living  God  "  seems  along  with  this  to 
imply  their  preservation  as  living  men  against  all  the 
power  of  their  adversaries — His,  and  therefore  theirs. 
True,  that  the  power  of  the  living  God  is  shown  more 
victoriously  in  resurrection  than  in  preservation  merely; 
true  also  that  to  the  souls  under  the  altar  it  has  been 
foretold  of  others  of  their  brethren  to  be  slain  as  they 
were,  and  who  are  no  less  marked  as  His  by  the  deaths 
they  die  for  Him  than  any  others  can  be:  yet  the  "seal 
of  the  living  God "  may  clearly  manifest  its  power  in 
securing  preservation  of  natural  life,  and  the  connection 
seems  to  imply  jthis  here?  while  thus  alone  do  the  two 
companies  of  this  parenthetic  vision, — the  Jewish  and  the 
Gentile,  —  supplement  each  other,  as  is  their  evident 
design.  This  also  to  some  will  not  be  apparent,  for  the 
Gentile  multitude  are  commonly  taken  to  be  risen  saints 
in  heaven.  But  the  consideration  of  this  must  be 
reserved  for  the  present. 

Certainly  the  enumeration  of  the  tribes  speaks  for  their  n 
connection  with  God's  purposes  for  Israel  nationally  upon  ' 
the  earth,  where  her  future  is.  In  heaven,  as  a  nation, 
she  has  no  place,  but  on  earth  ever  preserves  it  (Isa.  ■ 
Ixvi.  22).  And  here  the  connection  of  both  these  com- i 
panics  with  a  series  of  events  on  earth  is  evident.    It  may  j 


j6  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

be  said  that  the  souls  under  the  altar  find  similarly  their 
place  in  connection  with  the  seals,  and  yet  are  passed 
from  earth:  but  these  are  introduced  to  show  the  preva- 
lence of  persecution,  the  unchanged  enmity  to  God  mani- 
festing itself  thus  after  the  first  periods  of  judgment  have 
run  their  course;  while  they  bring  on,  as  it  would  seem 
by  their  prayers,  the  crash  which  follows  under  the 
sixth  seal. 

No  suc/i  connection  can  be  seen  here,  but  the  saints 
here  are  to  be  sheltered  from  the  judgments  coming  on 
the  earth — being  themselves  on  it,  an  Israelitish  company, 
inferring  national  revival,  significant  enough  for  earth, 
but  not  at  all  for  heaven. 

Leaving  this  for  the  present,  we  must  give  our  attention 
to  the  number  so  definitely  stated,  and  so  earnestly  re- 
peated, of  this  sealed  company.  The  enumeration,  so 
held  up  before  us,  and  emphasized  by  repetition,  cannot 
be  a  point  of  little  consequence.  Of  each  tribe  distinctly 
it  is  stated  that  there  are  twelve  thousand  sealed.  What, 
then,  is  the  meaning  of  this  number?  It  is  evidently 
made  up  of  12  and  10,  the  latter  raised  to  its  third  power, 
the  number  of  government  and  of  responsibility.  But  we 
must  look  at  these  a  little  further. 

Ten  is  the  measure  of  responsibility,  as  in  the  ten 
commandments  of  the  law ;  raised  to  the  third  power,  it 
seems  to  me  to  be  responsibility  met  in  grace  with  glory; 
while  the  number  12  speaks,  as  I  have  elsewhere  sought 
to  show,  of  manifest  government.  If  I  read  the  meaning 
right,  the  two  together  speak  of  special  place  conferred 
upon  this  company  in  connection  with  the  Lamb's  gov- 
ernment of  the  earth  ;  and  this,  it  seems  to  me,  is  con- 
firmed by  other  considerations. 

That  they  are  not  the  whole  remnant  of  Israel  pre- 
served to  be  the  stock  of  the  millennial  nation  is  evident 
from  the  one  fact  before  mentioned,  that  the  tribe  of  Dan 
has  no  place  among  them,  and  yet  certainly  has  its  place 
in  the  restored  nation.      In  Ezekiel  (xlviii.  i),  Dan  has 


THE    SEALED    OF    ISRAEL.  77 

his  portion  in  the  extreme  north  of  the  land.  Thus  the 
hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  here  are  clearly  a  special 
company,  and  not  the  whole  of  the  saved  people. 

But  the  case  of  Dan  has  further  instruction  for  us  in 
this  connection  ;  and  we  shall  find  it,  if  we  turn  back  to 
the  blessing  of  the  tribes  by  Jacob  in  the  end  of  the  book 
of  Genesis.  Jacob  himself  tells  us  here  that  he  is  speak- 
ing of  what  should  befall  them  in  the  ^^last  days ;''  and  it 
is  to  these  last  days  plainly  that  Revelation  brings  us :  so 
that  the  propriety  of  the  application  cannot  be  doubted. 
Let  us  listen,  then,  to  what  the  dying  patriarch  has  to 
say  of  Dan. 

^^Dan  shall  Judge  his  people  as  one  of  the  tribes  of 
Israel.  Dan  shall  be  a  serpent  by  the  way,  an  adder 
in  the  path,  that  biteth  the  horse-heels,  so  that  his 
rider  shall  fall  backward.  /  have  waited  for  Thy  sal- 
vation^ O  Lord.'' 

Abrupt,  fragmentary,  enigmatic,  as  the  words  are,  with 
just  this  passage  of  Revelation  before  us,  they  startle  us 
by  the  way  in  which  they  seem  to  meet  the  questionings 
which  have  been  awakened  by  it.  We  are  looking  upon 
a  sealed  company,  "a  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand 
of  all  the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel."  But  Dan  is 
not  found  among  them  !  Can  this  tribe,  we  ask,  have 
been  suffered  to  drop  out  of  God's  chosen  earthly  family, 
so  as  to  have  no  part  in  the  final  blessing?  The  voice 
from  of  old  answers  the  question  decisively:  ^^ Dan  shall 
Judge  his  people  as  one  of  the  tribes  of  Israel.''  No!  the 
Lord's  grace  prevails  over  all  failure  :  Dan  does  not  lose 
his  place.  It  cannot  be  that  a  tribe  should  perish  out  of 
the  chosen  people. 

But  more, — the  company  before  us,  if  we  have  read  its 
numerical  stamp  aright,  is  a  company  having  a  place  of 
rule  under  the  Lamb  in  the  day  of  millennial  blessing ; 
and  among  these,  assuredly,  Dan  is  not  found.  How  the 
old  prophecy  comes  in  here  once  more  with  its  assurance, 
"Dan  ^\ii\\\  Judge  his  people''!     The  staff  of  judicial  au- 


78  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

thority  is  not  wholly  departed  ;  but  simply  as  what  is 
necessary  to  tribal  place  he  retains  it,  "as  one  of  the 
tribes  of  Israel," — nothing  more. 

The  patriarch's  first  words  as  to  Dan  imply,  then,  a 
low  place — if  not  the  lowest  place — for  Dan,  even  as  his 
portion  in  Ezekiel  is  on  the  extreme  northern  border  of 
the  land.  He  retains  his  place  as  part  of  the  nation,  that 
is  all.  And  if  we  naturally  ask,  Why  ?  the  answer  is 
given  in  what  follows  : — 

"  Dan  shall  be  a  serpent  by  the  way,  an  adder  in  the 
path,  that  biteth  the  horse-heels,  so  that  his  rider  falleth 
backward." 

Plainly  these  are  characters  which  associate  him  in 
some  way  with  the  power  of  the  enemy;  for  the  "serpent," 
^  the  "adder,"  speak  of  this.  Jacob's  words  would  show 
that  in  the  apostasy  of  the  mass  of  the  nation  under 
Antichrist,  in  the  days  to  which  we  are  here  carried,  Dan 
has  a  more  than  ordinary  place.  If  the  antichrist  be,  as 
every  thing  assures  us,  a  Jew  himself,  what  would  be 
more  in  accordance  with  all  this  than  the  ancient  thought 
that  he  will  be  of  Dan  ? 

And  here  how  natural  the  groan,  yet  of  faith,  on  the 
part  of  the  remnant  which  breaks  out  in  the  next  words 
of  the  prophecy,  "  I  have  waited  for  Thy  salvation,  O 
Lord"! 

In  Gad,  therefore,  the  conflict  finds  its  termination  : 
"A  troop  shall  overcome  him,  but  he  shall  overcome  at 
the  last."     Then    in    Asher   and    Naphtali  the  blessing 
follows,  and  Joseph  and   Benjamin  show  us  in  whom  the 
blessing  is.     Upon  all  this,  of  course,  it  would  be  impos- 
sible to  dilate  now. 
j^  .      But  all  is  confirmatory  of  the  thought  cf  this  hundred 
yj^     f  and  forty-four  thousand  being  a  special  Israelitish  com- 
f^  1  pany,  destined  of  God  to  fill  a  place  (but  an  earthly  one,) 

in  connection  with  the  Lord's  government  of  the  world  in 
millennial  days.     We  have   now  to    look  at  the  Gentile 
:  company  in  the  next  vision. 


THE    PALM-BEARING    MULTITUDE.  79 

The  Palm-Bearing  Multitude.  (Rev.  vii.  7-17.) 

The     hundred     and     forty-four     thousand     have    been 
sealed    before    the    winds    of    heaven    have    been     let 
loose  upon  the  earth.     Before  the  next  vision  they  have 
spent    their  violence,   the    great    tribulation    is    passed, V^v-^'   ^ 
and   an    innumerable   company   of    people    are    seen    as  . 

come  out  of  it.     This  expression,  "the  greaftribulation,"    ^^0^ 
is  one  that  rules  in  the  interpretation   of   this  scene  as    ' 
should  be  evident.     When  people  simply  read,  *'  out  of 
great   tribulation,"   it   was   natural   to   think    of   all  the 
redeemed   of   all    generations   as    being   included    here, 
and  the   multitude  and   universality  of  the  throng  thus 
gathered  would  confirm  the  idea;  but  now  it  ought  to  be 
no  longer  possible.     That  it  is  "the^;r«/  tribulation  "  is   / 
even  emphasized  in  the  original^^^^the  tribulation,  the 
great  one," — to  forbid  all  generalizing  in  this  way.     We 
are  reminded  of  one  specific  one,  which  as  thus  named 
we  are  expected  to  know;  and  he  who  will  take  Scripture 
simply  will  surely  find  without  difficulty  the  one  intended. 
We  have  already  gone  over  this  ground,  and   there   isi 
scarcely  need  to  remind  our  readers  that  the  "  great  tribu-  ■ 
lation"  of  which  our  Lord,  spoke  to  His  disciples,  "such 
as  was  not  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  to  this  time,; 
no,  nor  ever  shall  be,"  which  is  shortened  by  divine  grace, 
for  otherwise  "  no  flesh  should  be  saved,"  and  at  the  close 
of  which  "  they  shall  see  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  the, 
clouds  of  heaven,"  must  needs  be  that  out  of  which  the* 
multitude  before  us  come. 

That  the  tribulation   is  thus  immediately  followed  by  J^ 

the  coming  of  the  Lord  from  heaven  makes  it  easier  to  ^j^-  '^ 
understand  another  thing,  that  their  standing  before  the 
throne,  as  the  prophet  sees  them,  does  not  necessitate  the 
thought  of  their  being  in  heaven.  There  is  no  hint  of 
their  being  raised  from  the  dead,  or  having  died  at  ajj. 
Simply  they  are  ''before  the  throne  of  God, "^ and  serve 
Him  day  and  night  in  His  temple."  Here  again  it  is  natural 


.•v> 


vv- 


80  .     "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

to   the   common  habits  of  thought  to  suppose  that  the 

temple  of  God  must  be  in  heaven,  and  passages  from  this 

very  book  would  doubtless  be  cited  in  support  of  this 

^  (chap,  xi.  19;  XV.  5):  these  will  come  naturally  before  us 

v""    for  consideration  in  their  own  place;  but  here  it  is  sufifi- 

^v  I  cient  to  say  that  it  is  not  said  "in  heaven,"  and  that  on 

\^        earth  there  is  yet  to  be  a  temple,  as  Ezekiel  shows.     Isaiah 

V        also  declares  that  also  of  the  Gentiles  the  Lord  will  "take 

for  priests  and  Levites"  (Ixvi.  21). 

With  this  view  at  least  let  us  look  at  the  scene  before 
us,  and  see  what  we  can  gather  more.  That  they  have 
"white  robes"  shows  simply  their  acceptance;  the  palms 
in  their  hands  speak  of  rest  in  victory;  their  words 
ascribe  their  salvation  to  God  and  to  the  Lamb,  but 
they  "cry^" — it  does  not  say  "sing."  The  angels  and 
the  elders  stand  "around"  the  tfirone;  they  simply  stand 
'''before''  it. 

One  of  the  elders  now  raises  the  question  with  John, 
"Who  are  these?"  He,  unable  to  say  who  they  can  be, 
refers  back  the  question  to  the  speaker,  and  he  answers 
it.  But  note  the  strangeness  of  such  a  question  upon  the 
ordinary  view,  and  the  greater  strangeness  of  John's  in- 
ability to  answer.  Plainly  they  were  a  company  of  saved 
ones  giving  praise  for  their  salvation,  and  if  it  were  the 
whole  company,  the  very  naturalness  of  the  thought  as 
accepted  by  so  many  would  make  us  wonder  at  the  ques- 
tion about  it,  still  more  at  the  apostle's  speechlessness. 
But  he  had  seen  another  company  in  heaven,  who  still 
kept  their  place  before  his  eyes,  and  who  had  sung^  the 
new  song,  and  at  least  with  fuller  praise.  As  to  these,  no 
question  had  been  raised  at  all.  It  would  seem,  he  might 
be  trusted  to  make  out  who  these  were;  and  one  of  these 
elders  was  now  accosting  him  !  How  could  he  miss  the 
thought  that  here  was  a  separate  class  of  redeemed  ones, 
and  certainly  upon  a  lower  footmg  than  those  whose 
rapturous  thanksgiving  he  had  heard  before  ? 

Accordingly  he  hears  that  such  is  the  fact.     He  is  told 


THE    PALM-BEARING    MUT.TITUDE.  St 

they  are  those  who  come  out  of  the  great  tribulation,  and 
have  washed  their  robes,  and  made  them  white  in  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb.  Not  their  sufferings  have  washed 
their  robes  white,  but  the  Lamb's  blood:  and  here  again, 
though  the  expression  is  peculiar,  they  are  on  common 
ground  with  saints  at  all  times. 

And  on  this  account  they  are  before  the  throne  of  God,, 
and  serve  Him  day  and  night  in  His  tempje;  (but  in  the! 
new   Jerusalem   there   is   no    temple:    the    "Lord    Godj 
Almighty  and  the  Lamb  are  the  Temple  of  it; ")  and  "  Hel      J^ 
that  sitteth  on  the  throne  shall  spread  His  tabernacle  over  '»^'' 
them."     So  rightly  now  the  I^.  V.,  and  not,  "shall  dwel^  ^    ^jju 
among  them."     It' is  like  Isaiah  (iv.  6),  who  similarly  de-  ^^^^ 
scribes  the  condition  of  Jerusalem  in  the  time  to  which  Qj^^*"' 
this  refers:  "And  there  shall  be  a  tabernacle  for  a  shadow      \^^ 
in  the  day-time  from  the  heat,  and  for  a  place  of  refuge, 
and  for  a  covert  from  storm  and  from  rain."     How  plain 
that  it  is  as  protection  and  defense,  from  the  words  that 
follow  here  in  Revelation:  "They  shall  hunger  no  more, 
neither  thirst  any  more,  neither  shall  the  sun  strike  upon 
them,  nor  any  heat "  !      How  suited  to  men  still  in  the 
world  is  this  assurance  ! 

But  it  goes  on:  "For  the  Lamb  which  is  in  the  midst 
of  the  throne  shall  be  their  Shepherd,  and  shall  guide 
them  to  fountains  of  waters  of  life,  and  God  shall  wipe 
away  every  tear  from  their  eyes."  ^ 

Blessed  as  all  this  description  is,  it  seems  to  fall  short 
of  the  full  eternal  blessing,  and  certainly  short  of  what  is 
heavenly.  The  impression  given  is  of  the  earth's  warfare 
not  yet  over,  sin  and  evil  not  completely  banished,  but 
themselves  indeed  effectually  sheltered.  The  thought  of 
shepherd-care  suits  this  as  well  as  does  the  tabernacle 
stretched  over  them.  The  thanksgiving  expressed  also  is 
that  of  those  emerging  out  of  a  trial  great  as  that  out  of 
which  it  is  said  they  come,  and  for  whom  the  joy  of  deliv- 
erance as  yet  allows  little  else  to  be  thought  of.  There  is 
not  even  a  song — and  Scripture  can  be  trusted  to  its  least 


Y 


82  "things  that  shall  be. 

tittle  of  expression — they  "cry  with  a  great  voice  J*  !)ut 
do  not  ''''sing. 


We  may  well  believe,  then,  that  these  are  the  priestly 
class  taken  from  among  the  nations  of  which  Isaiah  speaks 
(Ixvi.  21).  I  am  aware  that  it  is  a  matter  of  dispute 
whether  "  I  will  take  of  them  for  priests  and  Levites  "  is 
to  be  referred  to  the  Israelites  whom  the  Gentiles  bring 
back  or  to  the  Gentiles  who  bring  them  back;  but,  as 
Delitzsch  well  says,  "  God  is  here  certainly  not  announc- 
ing so  simple  a  thing  as  that  the  priests  among  the 
returned  people  should  be  still  priests."  He  has  just  de- 
clared that  the  Gentiles  "  shall  bring  all  your  brethren  out 
of  all  the  nations  for  an  offering  unto  the  Lord  ...  as 
the  children  of  Israel  bring  their  offering  in  a  clean  vessel 
^  unto  the  house  of  the  Lord."  The  Gentiles  are  here, 
therefore,  this  "clean  vessel;"  and  being  thus  cleansed, 
I  He  further  promises  as  to  them,  "And  of  them  also  will 
J  I  take  for  priests  and  Levites,  saith  the  Lord." 

The  passages  in  Isaiah  and  Revelation  mutually  con- 
firm each  other  in  this  application,  and  we  see  who  are 
Jp       those  honored  to  serve  in  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  as  we 
f^"        .  see  also  what  temple  it  is  in  which  they  serve.     All  is  in 
'^         I  perfect  harmony,  and  the   multitude  of  Gentiles  stands 
^    iP  I    ^^^  ^^  plain  analogy  with  Israel's  hundred  and  forty- 
l  \jf^  Uour  thousand,  and  upon  a  similar  footing  to  them.     The 
two  together  complete  the  picture  of  blessing  for  both 
-  Israel  and  the  Gentiles,  through  the  storm  which  is  about 
Uo  burst   upon   the   earth.     ^Neither   ofroup^is  heavenly; 
neither  is  the   full  number  to  be  saved   and  enjoy  the 
summer  sunshine  of   millennial  days;   but  they   are  the 
sheaf  of  first-fruits  of  the  harvest  beyond,  in  each  case 
dedicated,  therefore,  in  a  peculiar  manner  to  the  Lord. 

Let  us  pause  here  to  notice  the  thought  so  characteristic 
of  the  book  of  Revelation,  book  as  it  is  of  the  throne  and 
of  governmental  recompense, — of  "robes  washed  and 
made  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb."  The  figures  of 
Scripture  are  perfectly  definite  and  absolutely  appropri- 


THE    PALM-BEARING    MULTITUDE.  83 

ate,  never  needing  apology.  Of  them,  as  of  all  else  in  it, 
the  words  of  the  Lord  are  true:  "Scripture  cannot  be 
broken."  On  the  other  hand,  they  are  various,  and  with 
meaning  in  their  variations,  so  that  if  we  are  not  careful, 
we  may  easily  force  them  into  contradiction  with  each 
other  and  with  the  truth. 

What,  for  instance,  is  the  "robe"  in  which  the  saint 
appears  before  God  ?  It  is  easy  to  answer,  and  absolutely 
scriptural  to  quote,  "  He  hath  covered  me  with  the  robe  of 
righteous7iess''  (Isa.  Ixi.  lo).  And  how  beautifully  does 
the  "  robe "  speak  of  that,  by  which  the  shame  of  our 
nakedness,  which  came  in  through  sin,  is  put  away  ! 

But  what  is  our  righteousness?     Here  again  we  have  \ 
most  familiar  texts,  "  This  is  the  name  whereby  He  shall  ;  x  xjjr 
be  called,  'The  Lord  our  righteousness'"  (Jer.  xxiii.  6);   y^ 
"Christ,  who  is  made  of  God  unto  us   .    .   .    righteous- > 
ness."     And  the  prodigal's  "best  robe"  reminds  us  here 
how  the  beauty  of  Christ  upon  us  must  transcend  far  the, 
lustre  of  angelic  garments. 

Nevertheless,  if  we  think  we  have  got  the  one  idea  of 
Scripture  in  this  matter,  we  shall  be  sorely  perplexed 
when  we  come  to  this  text  in  Revelation.  Could  we  wash 
this  robe,  and  make  it  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  ? 
Assuredly  not:  it  would  be  impossible  tc  apply  this  ex- 
pression, in  any  way  that  can  be  imagined,  to  this  robe, 
which  is  Christ. 

The  Revelation  has  its  own  distinct  phraseology  here, 
in  perfect  harmony  with  the  line  of  truth  which  it  takes 
up.     The  robe  is  still  the  symbol  of  righteousness,  but  in  \ 
view  of  the  recompense  that  awaits  us,  "the  fine  linen"  ■ 
with  which  the  bride  is  clothed,  "is  the  righteousnesses — 
the  righteous  deeds — of  the  saints"  (chap.  xix.  8).     It  is 
practical   righteousness  that   is   in   question, — not  some- 
thing wrought  by  another  for  us,  but  wrought  by  our  own  » 
hands.     It  is  a  completely  different  thought  from  that  in  | 
the  Lord's  parable,  and  in  no  wise  contradictory  because 
so  different.    Assuredly  "  we  shall  all  be  nmnifested  before  , 


84  .   "things  that  shall  he." 

the  judgment-seat  of  Christ,  that  every  one  may  receive 
for  the  things  done  in  the  body,  whether  it  be  good  or 
bad"  (2  Cor.  v.  .10). 

For  the  saint,  indeed,  this  is  not  to  come. personally  into 
judgment.  That,  the  Lord  has  assured  us,  personally  we 
cannot  do  (Jno.  v.  24,  R.  V.).  God  can  raise  no  question 
as  to  a  soul  whom  He  has  received,  whether  He  has 
received  him.  The  matter  of  reward  is  entirely  distinct 
from  that  of  personal  acceptance;  but  it  has  its  place. 
And  here  comes  in  this  solemn  and  precious  reminder  of 
how  the  robe  needs  washing  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  in 
order  to  be  white.  How  else  could  any  thing  of  ours 
find  approval  and  recompense  ?  Thus  as  the  apostle  tells 
us  in  his  prayer  for  Onesiphorus  (2  Tim.  i.  18),  that  re- 
ward itself  is  "mercy:  "  "  the  Lord  grant  unto  him  that  he 
may  find  7fiercy  of  the  Lord  in  that  day ! " 

These  saints  out  of  the  great  tribulation  know  at  least 
that  not  by  tribulation,  but  by  the  work  of  Another,  can 
that  which  is  best  and  holiest  in  their  lives  be  accepted  of 
God.  "TV/rj' have  washed  their  robes."  They  have  re- 
nounced the  thought  of  any  proper  whiteness  in  their 
robes  save-that  produced  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  On 
this  ground  they  are  as  we,  and  we  are  as  they. 

Looking  back  at  these  visions  now,  and  their  connec- 
tion with  the  seals,  we  see  more  fully  than  ever  the 
introductory  character  the  latter  have,  and  how  at  the 
same  time  the  seventh  seal  introduces  to  the  open 
book  itself.  The  sixth  seal  is  not  final  judgment,  pro- 
phetic of  it  as  it  may  be.  It  is  but  as  a  zephyr  com- 
pared with  the  storm-blast,  for  the  winds  have  not  yet 
been  allowed  to  burst  forth  as  they  will.  So  too  the 
brethren  of  the  fifth-seal  martyrs,  which  are  to  be  slain  as 
they  were,  have  yet  to  give  up  their  lives.  But  because 
the  seventh  seal,  in  opening  the  whole  book,  brings  us 
face  to  face  with  this  last  and  most  awful  period  of  the 
world's  history  ever  to  be  known,  therefore  before  it  is 


THE    FIRST    FOUR    TRUMPETS.  85 

opened,  we  are  summoned  apart  for  the .  succession  of 
events,  to  see  the  gracious  purposes  which  are  hidden 
behind  the  coming  judgments, — to  see  beyond  it,  in  fact, 
to  the  clear  blue  sky  beyond.  And  we  see  why  these  are 
not  seals  nor  trumpets,  but  an  interruption — a  parenthetic 
instruction,  which,  coming  in  the  place  it  does,  pushes  as 
it  were  the  seventh  seal  on  to  be  an  eighth  section,  itself 
filling  the  seventh  place.  If  numbers  have  at  all  signifi-  \^'' 
cance,  we  may  surely  read  them  here.  The  seeming  dis- 
order becomes  beauteous  order:  the  seventh  seal  fills  the 
eighth  place,  as  introducing  to  the  new  condition  of 
things,  the  earth's  last  crisis;  the  seventh  place  is  filled  by 
that  which  gives  rest  to  the  heart  in  God's  work  accom- 
plished, a  sabbatism  which  no  restlessness  of  man  can 
disturb !  Let  us  too  rest  in  thanksgiving,  for  these  are 
the  ways  of  God. 


PART  II. 

The  Trumpets.  (Chap.  viii.  2-xi.  i8.) 
The  First  Four  Trumpeis.    (Chap.  viii.  2-13.) 

THE  last  seal  is  loosed,  and  the  book  of  Revelation 
lies  open  before  us ;  yet  just  here  it  is  undoubtedly 
true  that  we  have  reached  the  most  difficult  part  of 
the  whole.  As  we  go  on,  we  shall  find  ourselves  in  the 
midst  of  scenes  with  which  the  Old-Testament  prophets 
have  made  us  in  measure  familiar — a  part  which  can  be 
compared  in  this  very  prophecy  to  "a  little  open  book." 
In  the  seals,  we  have  found  also  what  was  more  simple  by 
its  very  breadth  and  generality.  We  have  here  evidently 
predictions  more  definite,  and  yet  the  application  of 
which  may  never  be  made  known  to  us,  as  they  do  not 


86  ^'things  that  shall  be." 

seem  to  come  into  that  "open  book," — do  not  seem  to 
find  their  place  where  the  Old  Testament  can  shed  its 
light  in  the  same  way  upon  them.  Yet  we  are  not  left  to 
that  mere  "private  interpretation"  which  is  forbidden  us; 
and  it  is  well  to  inquire  at  the  beginning,  what  helps  we 
have  to  interpretation  from  other  parts  of  Scripture. 
J  The  series  of  trumpets  is  septenary,  as  we  know — just 
as  those  of  the  seals  and  vials  are.  Not  only  so,  but,  as 
already  said,  the  7  here  becomes,  by  the  interposed 
vision  between  the  sixth  and  seventh,  in  structure,  an 
8.  And  in  this,  the  seals  are  plainly  similar ;  the  vials 
^  really,  though  more  obscurely. 

This  naturally  invites  further  comparison;  and  then  at 
once  we  perceive  that  the  vials  are  certainly  in  other 
respects  also  a  parallel  to  the  trumpets.  In  the  first  of 
^vi  each,  the  earth  is  affected ;  in  the  second,  the  sea ;  in  the 
third,  the  fivers  and  fountains  of  waters;  in  the  fourth, 
the  sun;  in  the  fifth,  there  is  darkness;  in  the  sixth,  the 
river  Euphrates  is  the  scene :  the  general  resemblance 
cannot  be  doubted. 

No  such  resemblance  can  be  traced  if  we  compare  the 
seals,  however  ;  though  the  similarity  of  structure  should 
yield  us  something.  The  structure  itself,  so  definite  and 
plainly  numerical,  may  speak  to  those  who  have  ears  to 
hear  it,  and  we  shall  seek  to  gain  from  it  what  we  can. 
But  there  is  a  third  witness,  whose  help  we  shall  do  well 
to  avail  ourselves  of,  and  that  is,  the  historical  interpreta- 
tion, which  just  here — strangely  as  it  may  seem — is  at  its 
plainest.  There  is  a  very  striking  and  satisfactory  agree- 
ment among  those  of  the  historical  school  with  regard  to 
the  fifth  and  sixth  trumpets  at  least ;  and  the  harmony 
pleads  for  some  substantial  truth  in  what  th^y  agree 
about.     We  must  at  all  events  inquire  as  to  this. 

Strictly,  according  to  the  structure,  the  first  five  verses 
of  this  chapter  belong  to  the  seventh  seal ;  but  for  our 
purpose  it  is  more  convenient  to  connect  them  with  the 
trumpet-series,   which   they   introduce.      The   judgments 


THE    FIRST    FOUR    TRUMPETS.  87 

following  they  show  us  to  be  the  answer  of  God  to  the 
cry  of  His  people,  though  in  His  heart  for  them  before 
they  cry.  This  is  what  the  order  plainly  teaches:  "And 
I  saw  the  seven  angels  which  stand  before  God,  and 
seven  trumpets  were  given  unto  them."  Thus  all  is  pre- 
pared of  God  beforehand  ;  yet  He  must  be  inquired  of, 
to  do  it  for  them,  and  therefore  we  have  next  the  prayers 
of  all  the  saints  ascending  up  to  God.  There  is  now  a 
union  of  all  hearts  together :  the  common  distress  leads  to 
united  prayer;  and  He  who  has  given  special  assurance 
that  He  will  answer  the  prayer  of  two  or  three  that 
unitedly  ask  of  ^Him,  how  can  He  withdraw  Himself  from 
such  supplication  ? 

But  we  see  another  thing, — the  action  of  the  angel  at  ,\ 
the  altar  of  incense:  "And  another  angel  came  and  stood  -* 
at  the  altar,  having  a  golden  censer;  and  there  was  q^' 
given  unto  him  much  incense,  that  he  should  offer  it  with 
the  prayers  of  all  saints  upon  the  golden  altar  which  was 
before  the  throne.  And  the  smoke  of  the  incense  which 
came  with  the  prayers  of  the  saints  ascended  up  before 
God  out  of  the  angel's  hand."  Thus  the  fragrance  of 
Christ's  acceptability  gives  efficacy  to  His  people's 
prayers  •  a  thing  perfectly  familiar  to  us  as  Christians, 
and  which  scarcely  needs  interpretation,  but  which,  as 
pictured  for  us  here,  has  this  element  of  strangeness  in 
it — the  figur'e  of  an  angeZ-pnest.  Why,  if  it  be  Christ  who 
of  necessity  must  take  this  place,  why  is  He  shown  us  as 
an  angel  ?  "  For  He  taketh  not  hold  of  angels,  but  of, 
the  seed  of  Abraham  He  taketh  hold.  Wherefore  in  all 
things  it  behoved  him  to  be  made  /ike  unto  His  brethren, 
that  He  might  be  a  merciful  and  faithful  Jligh-Priest  in 
things  pertaining  to  God."  (Heb.  ii.  i6,  17.)  If,  then,  to 
be  the  priest  men  need.  He  must  be  made  like  to  men, 
why  does  He  appear  here  as  an  angel,  and  not  as  a  man  ? 

There  is  no  need  for  doubt  that  what  has  been  an- 
swered by  many  is  the  true  explanation,  and  that  the 
angel-figure  here  speaks  of  personal  distance  still  from 


88  '' THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

those  for  whom  3^et  He  intercedes.  We  have  many  like 
examples  in  Scripture,  and  one  which  is  of  special 
interest  in  this  connection.     Those  who  appear  in  the 

'  eighteenth  of  Genesis  as  *'  men  "  to  Abraham,  go  on  to 
Sodom  as  "  angels  "  in  the  nineteenth.  They  go  there  to 
deliver  Lot,  but  are  not  able  to  show  him  the  intimacy 

^  which  they  show  to  Abraham.     "  Just  jnan  "as  he  is,  and 

'  "vexed  with  the  filthy  conversation  of  the  wicked,"  he  is 
yet  one  "saved  so  as  through  the  fire."  Found,  not  in 
his  tent-door  at  Mamre,  but  in  the  "  gate  of  Sodom,"  he 
is  one  of  those  righteous  men  but  in  an  evil  place,  for 

^  whom  Abraham  intercedes  with  God,  and  when  delivered, 
it  is  said  of  him  that  "God  remembered  Abraham,  and 
sent  Lot  out  of  the  midst  of  the  overthrow,  when  He 
overthrew  the  cities  in  the  midst  of  which  Lot  dwelt." 
(Gen.  xix.  29.) 

Lot  may  thus  fitly  represent  this  very  remnant  of  Israel 
at  the  last,  whose  prayers  are  here  coming  up  before 
God ;  who  have  had  opportunity  to  have  known  the 
Church's  pilgrim  path,  but  have  refused  it,  and  to  whom 
Christ  is  even  yet  a  stranger,  though  interceding  for 
them.  If  we  remember  the  priestly  character  of  the 
heavenly  elders  in  the  fifth  chapter  here,  and  "  their  vials 
full  of  odors,  which  are  the  prayers  of  saints  "  {v.  8)  we 
may  see  further  resemblance  between  these  pictures  so 
far  apart.  And  how  touching  is  it  to  see -how  in  the 
troubles  which  encompass  Lot  in  Sodom,  these  angels 
begin  to  appear  as  "men"  again  !  (Gen.  xix.  10,  12,  16.) 
Sweet  grace  of  God,  shining  out  in  the  very  midst  of  the 
trial  from  which  it  could  not,  because  of  our  need  of  it, 
exempt  us ! 

Thus  the  angel-priest,  in  its  very  incongruity  of 
thought,  exactly  suits  the  place  in  which  we  find  it.  It  is 
"the  time  of  Jacob's  trouble," — needed,  because  he  is  yet 
Jacob,  but  out  of  which  he  shall  be  delivered  when  its 
work  is  once  accomplished.  (Jer.  xxx.  7.)  Thus  their 
prayers  offered  are  heard;  and,  as  inheriting  on  the  earth, 


THE    FIRST    FOUR    TRUMPETS.  89 

the  answer  to  them  involves  the  purging  of  the  earth. 
"And  the  angel  took  the  censer,  and  filled  it  with  fire  of 
the  altar,  and  cast  it  unto  the  earth;  and  there  were  voices 
and  thunderings  and  lightnings,  and  an  earthquake.  And 
the  seven  angels  which  had  the  seven  trumpets  prepared 
themselves  to  sound." 

This  fire,  because  from  the  altar,  some  have  difficulty 
in  believing  to  be  judgment.  They  remember  how  a  live 
coal  from  the  altar  purged  Isaiah's  lips,  and  cannot  see 
how  that  which  has  fed  upon  the  sacrifice  can  be  any 
longer  wrath  against  men.  But  this  is  easily  answered  ; 
for  while,  where  the  heart  turns  to  God,  this  is  certainly 
true,  it  is  in  no  wise  true  for  those  who  do  not  turn.  For 
them,  there  is  no  sacrifice  that  avails;  rather  it  pleads 
against  its  rejecters:  the  wrath  of  God  against  sin  has 
not  been  set  aside,  but  demonstrated  an  awful  reality  by 
the  cross;  and  where  the  precious  blood  has  not  cleansed 
from  sin,  the  wrath  of  God  rests  only  the  more  heavily  on 
those  who  slight  it.  The  signs  of  judgment  following  are 
therefore  in  perfect  keeping  with  the  fact  that  it  is  the 
fire  of  the  altar  that  evokes  them,  as  they  are  with  their 
being  the  answer  to  the  prayers  of  a  people  who  cry  (with 
the  saints  under  the  fifth  seal,  or  with  the  widow  to  whom 
the  Lord  compares  them,),  "  Avenge  me  of  mine  adver- 
sary." (Luke  xviii.  3.) 

Every  thing  finds  its  place  when  once  we  are  in  the 
track  of  the  divine  thoughts ;  and  in  all  this  there  is  no 
difficulty  when  we  have  learnt  the  period  to  which  it 
applies.  It  is  a  suited  introduction  to  the  trumpets  which 
follow,  and  in  which,  according  to  the  old  institution 
(Num.  X.  9),  God  Himself  now  declares  Himself  in  be- 
half of  His  people,  and  against  their  enemies. 

There  is  much  more  difficulty  when  we  come  to  con- 
sider separately  the  trumpets  themselves. 

"  And  the  first  sounded,  and  there  followed  hail  and 
fire,  mingled  with  blood,  and  they  were  cast  upon  the 
earth:  and  the  third  part  of  the  earth  was  burnt  up,  and 


i^' 


c 


90  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    I5E. 

the  third  part  of  the  trees  was  burnt  up,  and  all  green 
grass  was  burnt  up." 

Hail  with  fire  we  find  in  other  parts  of  Scripture,  as  in 
nature  also.  It  is  one  of  the  most  solemn  figures  of  the 
divine  judgment  which  nature  furnishes.  It  was  one  of 
^  the  plagues  of  Egypt.  In  the  eighteenth  psalm  it  is 
found  connected  with  similar  judgment.  "The  Lord  also 
thundered  in  the  heavens,  and  the  Highest  gave  His 
voice, — hailstones  and  coals  of  fire."  Electricity  and  hail 
are  products  of  the  same  cause,  a  mass  of  heated  air 
saturated  with  vapor,  rising  to  a  higher  level,  and  meeting 
the  check  of  a  cold  current.  It  is  a  product  of  cold,  the 
withdrawal  of  heat,  as  darkness  is  the  absence  of  light; 
and  light  and  heat,  cold  and  darkness,  are  akin  to 
one  another.  Cold  stands  (with  darkness)  for  the  with- 
drawal of  God,  as  fire  (which  is  both  heat  and  light)  for 
the  glow  of  His  presence,  which,  as  against  sin,  is  wrath. 
And  both  these  things  can  consist  together,  however  they 
may  seem  contradictory — "  hailstones  and  coals  of  fire  " 
be  poured  out  together.  God's  forsaking  is  in  anger 
necessarily,  and  thus  what  would  be  a  ministry  of  refresh- 
ment is  turned  into  a  storm  of  judgment.  There  is  a 
concord  of  contraries  against  those  that  cast  off  God;  as 
for  those  who  love  Him,  all  things  work  together  for  good. 

The  blood  mingled  is  of  course  a  sign  of  death — a 
violent  death, — and  shows  the  deadly  character  of  this 
visitation,  by  which  a  third  part  of  the  prophetic  earth  is 
desolated,  a  third  part  of  the  trees  burnt  up,  and  pros- 
perity (if  the  green  grass  implies  that,)  every-where 
destroyed. 

This  judgment  seems  to  affect,  therefore,  especially 
^  Ithe  lower  ranks  of  the  people,  though,  as  necessarily 
*  would  be  the  case,  many  of  the  higher  also  ;  but  it  does 
■not  affect  especially  those  in  authority.  They  have  not 
escaped,  as  we  have  seen,  in  the  general  convulsion  under 
the  sixth  seal; — nay,  the  heavens  fleeing  away  might  seem 

,  to  intimate  that  the  very  possibility  of  true  government 

j 


THE    FIRST    FOUR    TRUMPETS.  9I 

was  departed.  Yet  this  might  be  while  in  fact  govern- 
ments go  on,  and  we  find  in  what  follows  here  that  they 
do  go  on,  although  never  really  recovering  themselves. 
Under  this  trumpet  now  begins,  as  it  would  seem,  what 
shall  really  cause  them  to  collapse.  A  people  impover-^^ 
ished  by  that  which  spares  the  governing  classes,  who 
does  not  realize  the  danger  to  these  of  such  a  state  of  ^ 
things  ?  And  the  second  trumpet  seems  to  show  us  in 
reality  what  we  might  anticipate  to  grow  out  of  this. 

"And  the  second  angel  sounded,  and  as  it  were  a  great  *^ 

mountain,  burning  with  fire,  was  cast  into  the  sea;  and  the     j^     «• 
third  part  of  the  sea  became  blood;  and  the  third  part  of 
the  creatures  which  were  in  the  sea  and  had  life  died  ; 
and  the  third  part  of  the  ships  were  destroyed." 

The  comparison  of  Babylon  to  such  a  mountain  (Jer. 
li.  25)  may  put  us  in  the  track  of  the  meaning  here.  It 
is  a  power  mighty,  firmly  seated  and  exalted,  yet  full  of 
volcanic  forces  in  conflict,  by  which  not  only  her  own 
bowels  shall  be  torn  out,  but  ruin  spread  around.  This 
cast  into  the  sea  of  the  nations, — already  in  commotion, 
as  the  "  sea  "  implies — produces  death  and  disaster  beyond 
that   of   the    preceding   trumpet.      Human   life  is  morej  . 

directly  attacked  by  it.     Such  a  state  of  eruption  was  inf     ^^^^ 
France  at  the  end   of  the   last  century,   and   may  well  ^"^-^^^j^ 
illustrate  (as  others  have  suggested)  what  seems  intended.  MT"^ 
The  fierce  outburst  of  revolt  against  all  forms  of  mon-      J,>>^ 
archy,  the  fruit  of  centuries  of  insolent  tyranny  under  X^* 
which  men  had  been  crushed,  set  Europe  in  convulsion. 
History  is  full  of  such  portents  of  that  which  shall  be,  and 
we  do  well  to  take  heed  to  them.      Especially  as  the  end 
approaches  may  we  expect  to  find  it  so :  there  is  growth 
on  to  and  preparation  for  that  which  at  last  takes  those 
who  have  not  received  the  warning  by  surprise.  , 

The  third   part  of   the  ships  being  destroyed   wouldf  (^j^^^i*^ 
seem  naturally  to  imply  the  destruction  of  commerce  toj  \ -^v^ 
this  extent,  the  intercourse  between  the  nations  neces-{^ 
sarily  affected  by  the  reign  of  terror  around. 


92  "things  that  shall  be. 

^^  The  third  trumpet  sounds,  and  a  star  falls  from  heaven, 
burning  like  a  torch.  "And  it  fell  upon  the  third  part  of 
the  rivers,  and  upon  the  fountains  of  waters.  And  the 
name  of  the  star  is  called  Wormwood:  and  the  third  part 
of  the  waters  became  wormwood  ;  and  many  men  died  of 
the  waters,  because  they  were  made  bitter." 

The  heavens  are  the  sphere  of  government,  whether 
civil  or  spiritual ;  a  ruler  of  either  kind  might  be  here 
indicated  therefore,  and  the  historical  application  is  in 
general  to  Attila,  king  of  the  Huns;  yet  the  fall  frohi 
,  heaven,  the  poisoning  of  the  sources  of  refreshment,  as 
well  as  the  parallel,  if  not  the  deeper,  connection  with  the 
sixth  trumpet,  seem  to  point  much  more  strongly  to  an 
apostate  teacher,  by  whose  fall  the  springs  of  spiritual 
truth  should  be  embittered,  causing  men  to  perish.  With 
all  the  misery  that  has  hitherto  been  depicted  as  coming 
upon  men  under  these  apocalyptic  symbols,  we  have  not 
before  had  any  clear  intimation  of  this,  which  we  know, 
however^  to  be  a  principal  ingredient  in  the  full  cup  of 
bitterness  which  will  then  be  meted  out  to  men.  Because 
they  have  not  received  the  love  of  the  truth,  that  they 
might  be  saved,  God  will  send  them  strong  delusion,  that 
they  may  believe  a  lie  ;  and  here  would  seem  to  be  the 
beginning  of  this. 

In  the  French  revolution  at  the  end  of  the  last  century, 

the  revolt  against  the  existing  governments  linked  itself 

with  an  uprise  against  Christianity  ;    and  the  socialistic 

and    anarchical    movements   which    have   followed,  with 

however  little  present  success,  are  uniformly  allied  with 

infidel  and  atheistic  avowals  as  extreme  as  any  of  that 

time.    Russian  "nihilism"  fulfills  its  name  in  demanding 

"No    law,  no   religion — nihil!''  and    as  the    first  thing, 

"Tear  out  of  your  hearts  the  belief  in  the  existence  of 

\  God."     Here  is  forestalled  the  one  "  who  opposeth  and 

\  exalteth  himself  above  all  that  is  called  God,  or  that  is 

\  worshiped  ; "  nor  is   it  a  contradiction  to  this  that  one 

I  with  such  nihilism  on  his  standard  should  exalt  himself 


THE    FIRST    FOUR    TRUMPETS.  93 

into  the  place  of  God :  the  atheist  Comte  devised  for  his 
followers  a  new  worship,  with  forms  borrowed  from 
Rome,  and  a  peremptory  spirit,  which  have  gained  for  it 
from  a  noted  infidel  of  the  day  the  title  of  "  Catholicism 
minus  Christianity."  This  was  his  proposition,  as  stated 
by  himself :  "  The  re-organization  of  human  society, 
without  God  or  king,  through  the  systematic  worship  of 
humanity." 

This  was  a  delirium  !    True,  but  such  dreams  will  come , 
again,  as  the  Word  of  God  declares,  in  that  fever  of  the 
world  to  which,  with  its  quick  pulse  now,  it  is  fast  ap-| 
proaching.     Apostasy  is  written  already  upon  what  men  > 
would  fain  have  the  dawn  of  a  new  day,  and  the  being  \      >  J^ 
who  has  raised  himself  from  the  chattering  ape  to  link  J'^>.""»*-^ 
the  lightning  ,to  his  chariot  of  progress,  what  shall  stay  ^ 
him  now  ?     These  are  the  words  from  the  lips  of  Truth  \ 
itself :  "  I  am  come  in  My  Father's  name,  and  ye  receive  \ 
Me  not;    if  another  shall  come  in  his  own  name,  him  ye  ' 
will  receive." 

We  have  already  considered  in  a  measure  the  doctrine 
of  a  personal  antichrist  yet  to  come,  and  we  shall  be 
repeatedly  recalled  to  the  consideration  of  it  as  we  go  on 
with  Revelation.  Here  it  is  only  the  place  to  say  that  his- 
birthplace  in  the  book  seems  to  be  under  this  third  seal, 
though  his  descent  more  strictly  than  his  rise.  He  is 
born  of  apostasy,  as  the  second  epistle  to  the  Thessalo-* 
nians  (chap.  ii.  3)  would  lead  us  to  anticipate.  .    'VW 

And  now,  under  the   fourth  trumpet,  a  scene  occurs      '^ 
which  may  be  compared  with  that  under  the  sixth  seal, ' 
but  which  in  the  comparison  reveals  important  differences. 
Then,  a  convulsion  affected  (as  would  appear)  the  whole 
earth:    now,   it  is  only  the  governing  powers  that  are      l^ 
affected  by  it ;  and  that,  not-  every  where,  but  a  third  part       /hf^ 
of  the  sun  and  of  the  moon  and  of  the  stars,  so  that  the  I       t 
day  shines  not  for  a  third  part  of  it,  and  the  night  like- 
wise.    These  last  words  in  connection  with  the  similar 
limitation  to  a  third  part  in  the  preceding  seals,  seem  j 


^ 


94  "THINGS   THAT    SHALL.  BE. 

plain  enough.     The  day  does  not  shine  in  a  third  part  of 

the  sphere  of  its  dominion,  nor  the  night  (in  its  moon  and 

stars)   either.     Certainly  this  would  not  be  the  natural 

result  of  the  darkening  of  a  third  part  of  sun  and  moon, 

and    intimates    to    us   that  we  have    not   here   a   literal 

phenomenon  such  as  is  represented,  but  figures  of  other 

things.     Royal  or  imperial  authodiy  has  collapsed,  with 

]  its  train  of  satellites,  within  such  limits  as  a  "third  part" 

may  designate ;    and   with    this,   the   first    series   of   the 

trumpets  ends.     As  ordinarily  in  these  septenary  series, 

]  the  last  three  are  cut  off  from  these  first  four,  which  have 

^  a  certain  oneness  of  application,  as  the  use  of  this  "  third 

I  part "  employed  in  them  throughout  also  would  imply; 

for  the  next  trumpet  has  no  intimation  of  this  kind.    The 

sixth    has   it  again,    but    the   seventh    refuses   all   such 

<Hmitation. 

*  The  meaning  of  this  trumpet,  then,  is  simple;  but  its 
proper  significance  must  be  gained  from  its  connection 
with  the  series  of  which  it  forms  a  part,  and  indeed  with 
any  prophecies  elsewhere  which  by  comparison  may 
throw  light  upon  it. 

In  general,  also,  the  historical  application  attains  here 
a  consistency  which  claims  attention  ;  and  that  there  is 
some  substantial  truth  in  it  (though  not  the  full  truth) 
there  is  no  need  to  doubt.  The  minds  of  so  many  of  the 
Lord's  people  as  have  explored  the  book  of  Revelation  by 
this  light  have  not  been  left  so  utterly  dark  and  untaught 
of  the  Spirit  as  to  have  allowed  them  to  wander  utterly 
astray.  Scripture  is  larger  in  compass  than  we  think, 
and  this  is  by  no  means  the  only  part  of  prophecy  in 
which  a  certain  fulfillment  has  anticipated  and,  as  it  were, 
typified  the  final  and  exhaustive  one.  In  this  very  book, 
those  who  receive  the  addresses  to  the  seven  churches  as 
prophetic  of  the  history  of  the  professing  church  at  large 
can  surely  not  deny,  or  seek  to  deny,  a  primary  applica- 
tion to  churches  actually  existing  in  the  apostle's  day. 
And  here  the  foundation  of  the  historical  interpretation  is 


THE    FIRST    FOUR    TRUMPETS,  95 

already  laid.  The  stream  of  prophecy  in  the  seals  and 
trumpets  in  this  case  naturally  has  its  germinant  fulfill- 
ment from  that  very  time ;  and  if  we  refuse  it,  we  refuse 
not  only  the  comfort  we  should  gain  from  seeing  the  Lord's 
control  of  the  whole  course  of  man's  spiritual  history  for 
so  many  centuries,  but  also  lose  for  the  final  application 
a  guiding  clue  with  which  the  grace  of  God  has  furnished 
us.  That  it  is  not  a  full,  exhaustive  fulfillment  will  not 
in  this  case  either  affect  its  being  a  fulfillment.  It  will  be 
in  perfect  keeping  with  its  place  that  it  shall  not  be  a 
complete  one  ;  for  were  it  this,  no  room  for  the  final  one  *" 
would  be  left. 


"""''^^'^^"'~^''^'''^''"^'™^->S 


ets  applies  them  to  the  breaking  up  of  the  Roman  empire 
by  the  barbarian  inroads  of  Goths,  Vandals,  and  Huns, 
until  its  final  extinction  in  the  west  by  the  hands  of 
Odoacer.  The  eastern  half  survived  to  a  latter  day,  but 
it  was  henceforth  Grecian  rather  than  Roman,  Rome  itself, 
with  all  that  constituted  its  greatness, — nay,  its  being,  in 
the  days  of  its  ancient  glory,  having  departed  from  it. 
This  application  agrees  with  the  unity  of  these  trumpets, 
while  it  gives  a  sufficient  reason  for  the  series  coming  to 
an  end,  and  the  fifth  and  sixth  trumpets  turning  now  to 
judgments  upon  the  eastern  half,  by  the  hands  of  Saracen 
and  Turk,  the  seventh  being  in  its  character  universal. 
The  Roman  empire,  let  us  remember,  as  the  last  empire 
of  Daniel's  visions,  and  that  which  existed  in  the  Lord's 
lifetime  upon  earth,  and  by  the  authority  of  which  He 
was  crucified,  stands  as  the  representative  of  the  world- 
power  in  its  rebellion  against  God.  (Comp.  Ps.  ii.  with 
Acts  iv.  25-28.)  No  wonder,  therefore,  if  its  history  should 
be  given  under  these  war-trumpets,  the  last  of  which  gives 
the  full  victory  of  Christ  over  all  the  opposition. 

It  is  consistent  with  this  that  Satan  in  the  twelfth  chap- 
ter of  this  book  should  as  the  dragon  be  pictured  with 
the  seven  heads  and  ten  horns  of  the  Roman  beast.  He 
is  the  spiritual  prince  of  this  world,  and  in  this  way  is 


g6  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

clothed  with  the  power  of  the  world,  which  we  see  here 
again  is  Roman. 

So  again,  the  "earth,"  which  both  in  Greek  and 
Hebrew  may  mean  "  land,"  and  is  often  by  no  means  the 
equivalent  of  the  world,  seems  almost  constantly  in  these 
prophecies,  till  the  final  one,  to  be  the  Roman  earth,  the 
territory  of  the  Roman  empire  in  its  widest,  and  of  which 
the  western  part  seems  to  be  the  "third  part"  mentioned 
in  the  trumpets.  As  to  this  third  part,  Mr.  Elliott  urges, 
that  during  the  period  of  these  early  trumpets,  "the 
Roman  world  was,  in  fact,  divided  into  three  parts,*  viz., 
\.\\^ Easter  11  {^k^\2i  Minor,  Syria,  Arabia,  Egypt);  the  Central 
(Mcesia,  Greece,  Illyricum,  Rhoetia);  the  Western  (Italy, 
Gaul,  Britain,  Spain,  north-western  Africa);  and  that 
the  third,  or  western,  part  was  destroyed." 
\  Others  would  make  the  "third  part"  equivalent  to  the 
'  territory  peculiar  to  the  third  beast  of  Daniel,  or  the 
Greek  empire;  but  this  seems  certainly  not  the  truth:  for 
in  this  case,  according  to  the  historical  interpretation,  the 
end  of  the  easterfi  empire  must  be  found  under  the  fourth 
trumpet,  whereas  the  fifth  trumpet  goes  back  before  this, 
to  introduce  the  Saracens  ! 

Of  all  interpretations,  that  only  seems  consistent  which 
applies  the  "third  part"  to  the  western  part  of  the 
Roman  earth,  and  in  this  way  the  term  may  have  a 
further  significance,  as  that  part  in  which  the  Roman 
empire  is  yet  to  revive  again,  as  it  will  revive  for  judg- 
ment in  the  latter  days, — the  "third"  being  veiy  often 
connected  in  Scripture,  as  is  well  known,  with  the  thought 
of  resurrection. 

The  Roman  empire  has  indeed  long  been  extinct,  both 
:n  the  west  and  in  the  east,  and  it  is  of  this  very  extinction 
that  the  historical  interpretation  of  the  trumpets  speaks, 
{  yet  the  voice  of  prophecy  clearly  assures  us  that  it  must 
be  existing  at  the  time  of  the  end,  when,  because  of  the 
words  of  the  little  horn,  judgment  comes  down  upon  it. 

*I  quote  from  the  American  edition  of  Lange  on  lievelation,  p.  201. 


THE    FIRST    FOUR    TRUMPETS.  97 

(Dan.  vii.  ii.)  The  nineteenth  chapter  of  this  book  unites 
with  the  book  of  Daniel  in  this  testimony:  for  it  is  when  the^ 
Lord  appears  that  the  beast  is  seen,  along  with  the  kings 
of  the  earth,  arrayed  in  opposition  against  Him.  Thus  it*^ 
is  plain  that  the  Roman  empire  must  be  existent  at  the 
end.  It  has  yet,  therefore,  to  rise  again,  and  in  the  thir- 
teenth chapter  we  see  it,  in  fact,  rising  out  of  the  sea: 
while  in  the  seventeenth,  where  the  woman  Babylon  has 
her  seat  upon  it,  it  is  said,  "  The  beast  that  thou  sawest 
was,  and  is  not,  and  shall  ascend  out  of  the  bottomless 
pit,  and  go  into  perdition."  (v.  8.)  So  it  is  called,  "  The 
beast  that  was,  and  is  not,  and  shall  come."  (v.  2>.,R.V.) 

Nothing  can  be  much  plainer  than  the  fact  that  the,^ 
Roman  empire  will  revive  again. 

But  not  only  so;  it  is  also  declared  by  the  same  surei 
Word  that  it  will  revive  to  be  smitten  again  in  one  of  its 
heads,  and  apparently  to  death,  yet  its  wound  is  healed 
and  it  lives,  (chap.  xii.  3,  12,  14.)  It  is  after  this  that  it 
becomes  idolatrous,  as  Daniel  has  intimated  to  us  it  will, 
and  all  the  world  wonders  after  it.  (vv.  3,  8,  12.) 

It  is  not  yet  the  place  to  go  fully  into  this,  but  so  much 
is  clear  as  enables  us  to  see  how  the  historical  interpreta- 
tion of  these  trumpets  points,  or  may  point,  to  a  future 
fulfillment  of  them.  One  other  thing  which  the  book  of 
Revelation  notes  will  make  more  complete  our  means  of 
interpretation. 

The  beast,  as  seen  in  Revelation,  has  seven  heads,  or 
kings  ;  and  these  are  successive  rulers — or  forms  of  rule 
— over  the  empire  :  for  "five," says  the  angel,  "are  fallen, 
and  one  is,  and  another  is  yet  to  come ;  and  when  he 
Cometh,  he  must  continue  a  short  space."  The  heads,  then, 
in  this  primary  view,  are  seven,  but  five  had  passed  away 
— commentators  quote  them  from  Livy — the  sixth,  the 
imperial  power,  existed  at  that  time  :  the  seventh  was 
wholly  future,  and,  in  contrast  with  the  long  continuance 
of  the  sixth,  would  continue  only  a  short  space. 

But  there  is  an  eighth  head,  and  the  beast  himself  is 


98  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

this.  The  last  statement  has  been  supposed  to  mean  that 
the  head  exercised  the  whole  authority  of  the  empire ; 
but  it  would  seem  nothing  strange  for  the  head  of  empire 
to  exercise  imperial  authority.  Does  it  not  rather  mean 
that  the  beast  that  is  seen  all  through  these  chapters  is 
the  beast  of  this  eighth  head  ? 

But  the  seventh  head,  where  does  it  come  in  ?  There 
are  some  things  that  would  seem  to  give  us  help  with 
regard  to  this.  For  the  empire  plainly  collapsed  under 
its  sixth  head,  and  the  seventh  could  not  be  until  the 
empire  again  existed.  There  are  questions  here  that  have 
to  be  settled  with  the  historical  interpretation;  but  in  the 
meantime  the  course  of  the  trumpets  as  we  have  already 
followed  it,  confirmed  by  their  historical  interpretation 
also,  would  suggest  that  we  have  in  them,  and  indeed 
from  the  commencement  of  the  seals,  the  history  of  the 
seventh  head.  The  rider  upon  the  white  horse,  to  whom 
a  crown  is  given,  may  well  be  the  person  under  whom  the 
empire  is  at  first  re-established.  And  of  such  an  one 
Napoleon,  though  not  (as  some  have  thought)  the  seventh 
head  himself,  may  be  well  the  foreshadow.  The  sixth 
seal  does  not  point  to  his  overthrow  :  it  is  a  wider,  tem- 
porary convulsion  which  affects  all  classes — high  and  low 
together;  and  in  the  pause  that  follows,  they  would  seem 
to  recover  themselves.     The  trumpets  begin,  however,  at 

fonce  to  threaten  overthrow.  The  very  escape  of  the 
governing  classes  under  the  first  trumpet  seems  to  prepare 
the  way  for  the  outburst  under  the  second,  which  is  an 
eruption  from  beneath, — fierce  with  passionate  revolt;  to 
which  is  added,  under  the  third,  apostasy,  the  giving  up 
of  the  restraint  of  divine  government,  soon  to  grow  into 

.the  last,  worst  form  of  Christianity  according  to  Satan — 

f^,Antichrist:  the  opposition  to  incarnate  Deity  of  deified 

l^umanity. 

The  result  i.s,  under  the  fourth  trumpet,  as  it  would 
appear,  the  imperial  power  smitten,  the  seventh  head 
wounded  to  death,  and  with  it  the  recently  established 


THE    FIRST    WOE.  99 

empire  overthrown  beyond  mere  human  power  to  revive 
again.  But  this  brings  in  the  help  of  one  mightier  than 
man — the  awful  power  of  Satan,  working  with  an  energy 
proportionate  to  the  shortness  of  the  time  which  is  now 
his.  The  beast  arises  out  of  the  abyss,  its  deadly  wound 
is  healed  ;  the  dragon  gives  him  his  power  and  throne 
and  great  authority;  and  all  the  world  wonders  ajid 
worships,  (chap.  xiii.  2-4.) 

Then  indeed  it  is  "  Woe  !  woe  !  woe  !  to  the  inhabiters 
of  the  earth." 

The  First  Woe.  (Chap.  ix.  1-12.) 

At  the  sound  of  the  fifth  trumpet  a  star  is  seen,  not  to 
fall,  as  the  common  version  puts  it,  but  already  fallen 
from  heaven  to  earth.  This  seems  naturally  to  connect 
thus  with  the  apostasy  under  the  third  trumpet,  nor  is  it 
likely  that  the  apostasy  of  any  other  should  be  as  note- 
worthy as  his  whose  course  is  recorded  here.  At  all/ 
events,  it  is  an  apostate,  surely,  that  is  before  us,  and  toi 
him  is  committed  *'the  key  of  the  abyss."  ^ 

The  force  of  the  words  have  first  of  all  to  be  con- 
sidered. A  "  pit "  is  in  the  Old  Testament  often  a 
synonym  for  a  dungeon,  and  every  thing  unites  to  show 
this  to  be  the  meaning  here  ;  while  the  "abyss  "  is  not 
other  than  the  pit  itself,  but  only  a  further  definition  of 
it  * — the  dungeon  which  is  the  abyss.  So  the  demons 
pray  that  they  may  not  be  sent  into  the  deep^  or  "  abyss  " 
(Luke  viii.  31),  and  Satan  is,  in  the  twentieth  chapter, 
shut  up  there.  In  the  Old-Testament  parallel  to  the 
same  in  Revelation,  it  is  said,  "  They  shall  be  gathered 
together  as  prisoners  are  gathered  in  the  pit,  and  shali  be 
shut  up  in  prison."  (Isa.  xxiv.  22.)  Here  the  abyss  is  the 
"  pit,"  or  prison,  clearly.  The  key  is  used  in  this  place 
as  in  the  later  one — here,  the  "  key  of  the  pit  of  the 
abyss;"  there,  simply  "the  key  of  the  abyss." 

The  abyss  is  not,  however,  "hell" — the  "lake  of  fire," 

*The  f?enitive  of  apposition,  as  Jno.  ii.  21,  "  tlie  temple  of  Hi.s  body." 


lOO  ''THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

— as  we  may  see  by  the  fact  that   it   is,   in  one   passage 

(Rom.  X.   7),  used  in  connection  with  the  Lord:  "Who 

shall  descend  into  the  deep  (the  abyss)? — that  is,  to  bring 

up  Christ  again  from  the  dead."     Here,  as  the  heavens 

are  inaccessible  to  man  for  height,  so   is  the  abyss  for 

j^  depth.     The  literal  meaning  ("  bottomless  ")  must  not  be 

p  pressed,   as  our  own   use  of  the  word  shows,  and  the 

)  Greek  was  similar  ;  the  Septuagint  use  it  for  the  "  deep  " 

;  upon  which  darkness  rested  on  the  first  day. 

The  connection  of  the  "  pit "  with  the  state  of  the  dead  in 
the  Old  Testament  is  similar  to  that  of  the  "abyss"  here 
in  the  New.  We  have  this  again  in  Revelation,  where 
the  "beast,"  in  its  last  phase,  is  said  to  come  up  out  of 
the  abyss.  This  seems  naturally  to  refer  to  the  wound- 
ing to  death,  and  revival  (chap.  xiii.  3,  12,  14).  Some 
have  even  contended,  seeing  the  identification  of  the 
beast  (the  empire)  with  its  last  head  (chap.  xvii.  11),  for 
the  literal  resurrection  of  a  person  in  this  case;  but  this 
is  only  a  wild  extravagance:  for  resurrection  literally 
could  only  be  from  God,  and  the  beast  in  its  last  form 
is  wholly  under  the  power  of  Satan,  (xiii.  i,  2).  The 
?  rising  up  out  of  the  abyss  is  figurative,  therefore,  as  the 
beast  itself  is;  and  indeed  the  use  of  the  word  seems 
^  figurative  throughout. 

Now  Christ  has  "the  keys  of  hades  and  of  death" 
(chap.  i.  18);  and  it  is  not  to  be  imagined  that  He  should 
give  up  into  the  hand  of  an  apostate,  whether  man  or 
spirit,  any  portion  of  His  own  authority.  We  must  not 
think,  therefore,  (as  has  been  done,)  of  a  literal  opening 
of  hades,  and  an  irruption  of  the  spirits  of  the  lost  upon 
the  earth.  Fancies  like  these  easily  gain  ascendency 
over  av certain  class  of  minds;  and  yet  who  could  seri- 
ously maintain  such  an  outbreak  of  wickedness  on  the 
part  of  those  shut  up,  like  the  rich  man  in  hades,  to  await 
judgment?  Were  it  so,  there  would  be  "deeds  done" 
out  of  the  body,  as  well  as  "  in  the  body,"  to  give  account 
of  in  the  day  of  judgment.     But,  in  fact,  the  locusts  are 


THE    FIRST    WOE.  lOI 

not  said  even  to  come  out  of  the  pit.  Nothing  is  said  to 
come  out  of  it  but  the  smoke  which  darkens  the  sun  and  I 
air;  and  out  of  the  ^w^>^^  the  locusts  come.  It  may  be  j 
natural  to  think  that,  after  all,  they  cannot  be  bred  of  the 
smoke,  and  that  they  must  come  with  the  smoke  out  of 
the  pit;  but  naturalistic  interpretations  may  easily  deceive 
us,  where  the  spiritual  sense  is  the  whole  matter,  and  for 
the  spiritual  meaning  there  is  no  difificulty.  The  smoke 
is  not,  as  in  other  places,  the  smoke  of  torment,  but  the 
fumes  of  malign  spiritual  influences  which  darken  the 
air  and  the  supreme  source  of  light  itself.  Out  of 
this  darkness  we  can  easily  understand  the  locusts  to 
be  bred. 

Jt  is  quite  in  accordance  with  their  origin  that  their 
power  should  be  represented  as  that  of  the  scorpions  of 
the  earth — that  is,  in  their  poisonous  sting — and  their  dis- 
tinction from  natural  locusts  is  seen  in  this,  that  they  do  not 
touch  the  locusts'  food,  but  are  a  plague  only  upon  men, 
and  these  the  unsealed.     Remembering  that  it  is  in  Israel' 
that  the  sealing  is  found,  the   inference  seems  just  that 
these  unsealed  ones  are  Israelites,  and  the  sphere  of  this 
plague  is  in  the  east.     They  do  not  kill — as,  in  general, " 
the  scorpion  does  not, — but  inflict  torment  to  which  death  • 
is  preferable  ;  and  their  power  lasts  five  months. 

We  next  find  them  pictured  as  warriors — a  military 
power  subordinated  to  what  is  their  grand  interest  and 
aim,  the  propagation  of  poisonous  falsehood.  Thus  "the 
shapes  of  the  locusts  were  like  horses  prepared  unto 
battle;"  and,  as  in  the  certainty  of  triumph  beforehand, 
*'  upon  their  heads  were  as  it  were  crowns  like  gold." 
Little  matter  of  real  triumph  had  they,  as  the  limiting 
words  here  show.  "  Their  faces  were  as  faces  of  men  " 
also, — they  had  the  dignity  and  apparent  independence  of 
such;  while  yet  ''they  had  hair  as  the  hair  of  women," 
being  in  the  fullest  subjection  to  the  dark  and  dreadful 
power  that  ruled  over  them.  "  Their  teeth  as  the  teeth 
of  lions  "  show  the  savage,  tenacious  grip  with  which  they 


102  ''THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

can  hold  their  prey  ;  their  breastplates  of  iron,  perhaps, 
the  fence  of  a  hardened  conscience;  the  sound  of  their 
wings,  like  that  of  the  locust-hosts  they  resemble,  conveys 
the  hopeless  terror  which  they  inspire.  Finally,  we  are 
again  told  of  their  scorpion-stings,  and  their  power  to 
hurt  men  five  months. 

They  have  a  king  over  them — the  angel  of  the  abyss, 
whose  name  is  given,  almost  exactly  the  same  in  mean- 
ing, in  Hebrew  and  in  Greek.  The  use  of  the  Hebrew 
unites,  with  other  indications  we  have  had,  to  assure  us 
that  it  is  upon  Israel  that  this  woe  comes,  while  the  Greek 
no  less  plainly  indicates  that  the  angel  here  has  also 
to  do  with  the  Gentiles:  according  to  both,  he  is  the 
"  destroyer;"  and  it  is  natural  to  think  of  Satan  in  such 
connections,  while  it  seems  not  probable  that  the  angel  of 
the  abyss  is  the  same  person  with  the  fallen  star. 

The  historical  application  in  this  case  is  one  in  which 
there  is  great  unanimity  among  interpreters.  They  apply 
it  to  Mohammed,  and  the  Saracens,  whose  astonishing 
successes  were  manifestly  gained  under  the  inspiration  of 
a  false  religion.  They  came  in  swarms  from  the  very 
country  of  the  locusts,  and  their  turbaned  heads  with 
men's  beards  and  women's  hair,  their  cuirasses,  the  spar- 
ing of  the  trees  and  corn,  and  even  of  life  where  there 
was  submission,  with  their  time  of  prevalence,  according 
to  the  year-day  reckoning,  one  hundred  and  fifty  years, — 
all  these  things  have  been  pointed  out  as  fulfillment  of  the 
vision.  It  has  been  objected,  on  the  other  hand,  that 
such  points  as  these  are  below  the  dignity  of  Scripture, 
and  that  the  terms  are  moral.  While  this  is  surely  true 
if  we  think  of  the  full  intention,  it  is  to  be  considered,  on 
the  other  hand,  whether  God  does  not  allow  and  intend 
oftentimes  a  correspondence  between  such  outward  things 
and  what  is  deeper,  just  as  the  face  of  a  man  may  be  a 
real  index  to  his  spirit.  Just  because  they  are  external, 
they  are  well  fitted  to  strike  the  imagination;  and  the 
parable  is,  as  we  know,  a  very  common  method  of  in- 


THE    FIRST    WOE.  IO3 

struction  every  where  in  Scripture.  Thus  God  would 
open  our  eyes  to  see  what  is  indeed  all  around  us;  and 
to  stop  at  what  is  external,  or  to  ignore  it,  is  alike  an 
error. 

In  any  case,  and   for  reasons  which  we   have   already 
considered,  we  cannot  take  this  Saracenic  scourge  as  any 
complete  fulfillment  of  the  locust-vision.      Nor  can  we,  on- 
the  other  hand,  connect   it  as   fully   and    certainly   with 
other   prophecy   as    would    be    necessary    for  very  clear 
interpretation.      What    seems    indicated,    however,    with 
regard  to  its  final  fulfillment  in  a  time  yet  to  come,  is  the 
rise  and  propagation    of  that  delusion    to  which  we  know 
both  the  mass  of   mere   Christian    profession    and  of  the 
unbelieving  Jews  will   in  the   end    surrender   themselves. 
(2  Thess.  ii.)      The  antichrist  of  that  time  will  be,  there 
is  little  doubt,   both   an  apostate    from   Christianity  and 
from  the  faith  of  his  Jewish  fathers  (Dan.  xi.  37);  and  his 
apostasy  will  remove  (under  divine  permission)  the  pres- 
ent restraint  upon  the  power  of  evil.      It  will  be  as  if  the 
abyss   had    opened    its    mouth    to    darken    the    light   of 
heaven;    a    mist    of    confusion    will    roll    in    upon    men's 
minds,    which    will     under    satanic    influence    soon    find 
definite  expression   in   forms  of  blasphemy  and  a  host  of 
armed  adherents  ready  to  force  upon  others  the  doctrines 
of  the  pit.     As  has  been  said,  it  is  apparently  with  Israel] 
that  this  trumpet  has  to  do,  but  yet   the   Greek  name  of\ 
the  leader  seems  to  speak  also  of  the  connection  with  thej 
Gentiles.     If  the  application  here   made  be  the  true  one,  1 
then  we  know  that  the  "  wicked  one  "  will   not  be  a  Jew-  ; 
ish  false  Christ  merely,  but  will  also  head  the  apostasy  of  i 
Christendom.       In   this    sense   also   it   may   be    that  the  1 
"beast"  under  its  last  head — the  revived  Roman   empire  ) 
— is  said  to  come  up  out  of  the  abyss,  its   actual    revival  j 
being  due  to  the  dark  and  dreadful  power  which   is  pre-  , 
sented  to  us  here^ — so  exceeding  ni  malignity  all  that  has/ 
preceded  it,  that  its  advent  is  called,  in  the  language  of/ 
inspiration,  "the  first  woe."  j 


I04  ''things  that  shall  be." 

The  Sixth  Trumpet.  (Chap.  ix.  12-21.) 

In  these  trumpet-judgments  we  are,  as  has  been  already- 
seen,  traversing  some  of  the  most  difficult  parts  of  the 
book  of  New-Testament  prophecy.  This  is  owing 
largely  to  the  fact  that  the  link  with  the  Old  Testament 
seems  very  much  to  fail  us,  and  thus  the  great  rule 
for  interpretation  which  Peter  gives  us  can  be  acted 
on  only  with  proportionate  difficulty.  Moreover,  in  the 
case  of  symbols  such  as  we  have  before  us,  the  appli- 
cation is  of  the  greatest  importance  to  the  interpretation, 
and  the  application  is  just  the  fitting  of  the  individual 
prophecy  into  the  prophetic  whole.  We  have  need, 
therefore,  to  look  carefully,  and  to  speak  with  a  caution 
corresponding  to  the  difficulty. 

A  certain  connection  of  the  trumpets  among  them- 
selves, however,  we  have  been  able  to  trace,  and  this  we 
should  expect  still  to  discover,  every  fresh  step  in  this 
confirming  the  past  and  gaining  for  itself  thus  greater 
assurance.  Moreover,  the  general  teaching  of  prophecy 
will  assist  and  control  our  thoughts,  although  we  may  be 
unable  to  show  the  relation  to  each  other  of  single  pre- 
dictions, such  as  we  find,  for  instance,  in  comparing  the 
fourth  beast  of  Daniel  with  the  first  of  Revelation. 

A  voice  from  the  horns  of  the  golden  altar  brings  on 
the  second  woe.  It  is  natural  at  first  sight  to  connect 
this  with  the  opening  of  the  eighth  chapter,  and  to  see  in 
it  an  answer  to  the  prayers  of  the  saints  with  which  the 
incense  of  the  altar  is  offered  up.  But  this  view  becomes 
less  satisfactory  as  we  consider  it,  if  only  for  the  reason 
that  the  whole  of  the  seven  trumpets  are  in  answer  to  the 
prayers  of  the  saints,  as  we  have  seen,  and  to  make  the 
sixth  trumpet  specifically  this  would  seem  in  contra- 
diction. Besides,  a  voice  from  the  horns  of  the  altar,  or 
even  from  the  altar,  would  scarcely  convey  the  thought 
of  an  answer  to  the  prayers  that  came  up  from  the  altar. 
The  horns  too  were  not  in  any  special   relation  to  the 


THE    SIXTH    TRUMPET.  1 05 

offering  of  incense,  but  were  for  the  blood  of  atonement, 
which  was  put  upon  them  either  to  make  atonement  for 
the  altar  itself,  or  for  the  sin  of  the  high-priest  or  of  the 
congregation  of  Israel.  A  voice  of  judgment  from  these 
horns, — still  more  emphatic  if  we  read,  as  it  seems  we 
should  do,  "  one  voice  from  the  four  horns," — so  different 
from  the  usual  pleading  in  behalf  of  the  sinner,  speaks  of 
profanation  of  the  altar,  or  of  guilt  for  which  no  atone- 
ment could-  be  found  ;  and,  one  would  say,  of  such  guilt 
resting  upon  the  professed  people  of  God,  whether  this 
were  Israel  or  that  Christendom  which  Israel  often 
pictures. 

If  with  this  thought  in  our  mind  we  look  back  to  what 
has  taken  place  under  the  last  trumpet,  there  seems  at 
once  a  very  distinct  connection.  If  the  rise  of  Antichrist 
be  indeed  what  is  represented  there,  then  we  can  see  how 
the  horns  of  the  altar,  from  which  he  has  caused  sacrifice 
and  oblation  to  cease  (Dan.  ix.  27),  should  call  for  judg- 
ment upon  himself  and  those  who  have  followed  him, 
whether  Jews  or  Gentiles.  In  the  passage  just  quoted 
from  Daniel  it  is  added,  *'  And  because  of  the  wing  of 
abominations  there  shall  be  a  desolator."  In  the  sixth 
trumpet  we  have  just  such  a  desolator. 

The  Euphrates  was  the  boundary  of  the  old  Roman 
empire,  and  there  the  four  angels  are  ''bound" — "re- 
strained," it  may  be,  by  the  power  of  the  empire  itself, 
until,  having  risen  up  against  God,  their  own  hands  have 
thrown  down  the  barrier,  and  the  hordes  from  without 
enter  upon  their  mission  to  "slay  the  third  part  of  men," 
a  term  which  we  have  seen  as  probably  indicating  the 
revived  Roman  empire.  Here,  too,  is  the  seat  of  the 
beast's  supremacy  and  of  the  power  of  Antichrist.  Thus 
there  seems  real  accordance  in  these  several  particulars ; 
and  in  this  way  the  trumpet-judgments  give  us  a  glance 
over  the  prophetjc  field,  if  brief,  yet  complete,  as  other- 
wise they  would  not  appear  to  be.  Moreover,  when  we 
turn   to   the   thirty-eighth  and  thirty-ninth  chapters  of 


io6  ,        "things  that  shali,  be." 

Ezekiel  to  find  the  desolator  of  the  last  days  (chap, 
xxxviii.  17),  we  find  in  fact  the  full  array  of  nations  from 
the  other  side  of  the  Euphrates  pouring  in  upon  the  land 
of  Israel,  while  the  connection  of  that  land  with  Anti- 
christ and  with  the  Roman  empire  is  plainly  shown  us  in 
Daniel  and  in  Revelation  alike.  If  the  Euphrates  be 
the  boundary  of  the  empire,  it  is  also  Israel's  as  declared 
by  God,  and  the  two  are  already  thus  far  identified  : 
their  connection  spiritually  and  politically  we  shall  have 
fully  before  us  in  the  more  detailed  prophecy  to  come. 
.  But  why  four  angels  ?  and  what  do  they  symbolize  ? 
\  The  restraint  under  which  they  were  marks  them  suf- 
>j  ficiently  as  opposing  powers,  and  would  exclude  the 
\  thought  of  holy  angels  ;  nor  is  it  probable  that  they  are 
literal  angels  at  all.  They  would  seem  representative 
powers,  and  in  the  historical  application  have  been  taken 
to  refer  to  the  fourfold  division  of  the  old  Turkish 
empire  into  four  kingdoms  prior  to  the  attack  upon  the 
empire  of  the  East.  If  such  an  interpretation  is  to  be 
made  in  reference  to  the  final  fulfillment,  then  it  is  note- 
worthy that  "Gog,  of  the  land  of  Magog,  prince  of  Rosh, 
Meshech,  and  Tubal," — as  the  R.  V.,  with  most  commen- 
tators, reads  it  now, — gives  (under  one  head,  indeed,) 
four  separate  powers  as  principal  associates  in  this  latter- 
day  irruption.  Others  there  are,  but  coming  behind  and 
apart,  as  in  their  train.  I  mention  this  for  what  it  may 
be  worth.  It  is  at  least  a  possible  application,  and  there- 
fore not  unworthy  of  serious  consideration,  while  it  does 
not  exclude  a  deeper  and  more  penetrative  meaning. 

The  angels  are  prepared  for  ///<?  hour  and  day  and 
month  and  year,  that  they  might  slay  the  third  part  of 
men.  The  immense  hosts,  two  hundred  millions  in  num- 
ber, are  perfectly  in  the  hand  of  a  Master, — time,  work, 
and  limit  carefully  apportioned  by  eternal  Wisdom,  the 
evil  in  its  fullest  development  servant  to  the  good.  The 
horses  seem  to  be  of  chief  importance,  and  are  most 
dwelt  upon,  though  their  riders  are  first  described,  but 


THE    LITTLE    OPEN    BOOK.  I07 

only  as  to  their  "breast-plates  of  fire  and  hyacinth  and 
brimstone."  These  answer  to  the  "fire  and  smoke  and 
brimstone"  out  of  the  horses'  mouths:  divine  judgment 
of  which  they  are  the  instruments  making  them  thus  in- 
vincible while  their  work  is  being  done.  The  horses  have 
heads  like  lions  ;  destruction  comes  with  an  open  front — 
the  judgment  of  God  :  so  that  the  human  hands  that 
direct  it  are  of  the  less  consequence, — divine  wrath  is 
sure  to  find  its  executioners. 

God's  judgment  is  foremost  in  this  infliction,  but  there 
is  also  Satan's  power  in  it:  the  horses'  tails  are  like  ser- 
pents, and  have  heads,  and  with  these  they  do  hurt. 
Poisonous  falsehood  characterizes  this  time  when  men 
are  given  up  to  believe  a  lie.  Death,  physical  and 
spiritual,  are  in  league  together,  and  the  destruction  is 
terrible  ;  but  those  that  escape  are  not  delivered  from 
their  sins,  which,  as  we  see,  are,  in  the  main,  idolatrous 
worship,  with  things  that  naturally  issue  out  of  this. 
The  genealogy  of  evil  is  as  recorded  in  the  first  of 
Romans :  the  forsaking  of  God  leads  to  all  other  wicked- 
ness ;  but  here  it  is  where  His  full  truth  has  been 
rejected,  and  the  consequences  are  so  much  the  more 
terrible  and  disastrous. 

The  Little  Open  Book.  (Chap,  x.) 

We  have  already  seen  that  in  the  trumpets,  as    in    the 
seals,  there    is   a   gap,  filled   up  with  a  vision,  between 
the   sixth    and    seventh,   so    as    to    make    the    seventh 
structurally  an  eighth  section.     This  corresponds,  more-! 
over,  to  the  meaning  ;  for  the  seventh  trumpet  introduces  ) 
the   kingdom   of  Christ   on    earth,  which,  although    the  * 
third  and  final  woe  upon  the  dwellers   on  the  earth,  is 
on  the  other  hand  the  beginning  of  a  new  condition,  and 
an  eternal  one.     With  this  octave  a  chord  is  struck  which 
vibrates  through  the  universe. 

The  interposed  vision  is  in  both  series,  therefore,  a 
seventh^  with  a  meaning  corresponding  to  the  number  of 


Io8  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

perfection.  At  least,  so  it  is  in  the  series  of  the  seals, 
and  we  may  be  sure  we  shall  find  no  failure  in  this  case  : 
failure  in  the  book  of  God,  even  in  the  minutest  point, — 
our  Lord's  "jot  or  tittle," — is  an  impossibility.  Nothing 
is  more  beautiful  of  its  kind  than  the  way  ih  which  all 
this  prophetic  history  yields  itself  to  the  hand  that  works 
in  all  and  controls  all :  thank  God,  we  know  whose  hand. 

But  the  vision  of  the  trumpet-series  is  very  unlike  that 
of  the  seals,  and  its  burden  of  sorrow  different  indeed 
from  that  sweet  inlet  into  beatific  rest.  We  shall  find, 
however,  that  it  vindicates  its  position  none  the  less.  As 
in  the  work,  so  in  the  word  of  God,  with  a  substantial 
unity,  there  is  yet  a  wonderful  variety,  never  a  mere 
repetition,  which  would  imply  that  God  had  exhausted 
Himself.  As  you  cannot  find  two  leaves  in  a  forest  just 
alike,  so  you  cannot  find  two  passages  of  Scripture  that 
are  just  alike,  when  they  are  carefully  and  intelligently 
considered.  The  right  use  of  parallel  passages  must 
take  in  the  consideration  of  the  diversity  and  unity  alike. 

In  the  vision  before  us  there  is  first  of  all  seen  the 
descent  of  a  strong  angel  from  heaven.  As  yet,  no  de- 
scent of  this  kind  has  been  seen.  In  the  corresponding 
vision  in  the  seal-series,  an  angel  ascends  from  the  east, 
but  here  he  descends,  and  from  heaven.  A  more  positive 
direct  action  of  heaven  upon  the  earth  is  implied,  power 
acting,  though  not  yet  the  great  power  under  the  seventh 
trumpet  when  the  kingdom  of  Christ  is  come.  This  being, 
apparently  angelic,  is  *'  clothed  with  a  cloud," — a  vail 
about  him,  which  would  seem  to  indicate  a  mystery  either 
as  to  his  person  or  his  ways.  It  does  not  say  ''the  cloud," 
— what  Israel  saw  as  the  sign  of  the  presence  of  the 
Lord, — otherwise  there  could  be  no  doubt  as  to  who  was 
here  :  yet  in  His  actions  presently  He  is  revealed  to  faith 
as  truly  what  the  cloud  intimates.  It  is  Christ  acting  as 
Jehovah,  though  yet  personally  hidden,  and  in  behalf  of 
Israel,  among  whom  the  angel  of  Jehovah  walked  thus 
appareled.     It  is  only  the  cloud  ;  the  brightness  which  is 


THE    LITTLE    OPEN    BOOK.  IO9 

yet  there  has  not  shone  forth  :  faith  has  to  penetrate  the 
cloud  to  enter  the  Presence-chamber  :  yet  is  He  there, 
and  in  a  form  that  intimates  His  remembrance  of  the 
covenant  of  old,  and  on  His  own  part  some  correspondent 
action. 

So  also  the  rainbow  (which  we  last  saw  round  the 
throne  of  God)  encircles  His  head.  Joy  is  coming  after 
sorrow,  refreshing  after  storm,  the  display  of  God's 
blessed  attributes  at  last,  though  in  that  which  passes,  a 
glory  that  endureth.  And  this  is  coming  nearer  now,  in 
Him  who  descends  to  earth.  But  His  face  is  as  the  sun  : 
there  indeed  we  see  Him ;  who  else  has  such  a  face  ?  In 
our  sky  there  are  not  two  suns :  our  orbit  is  a  circle,  not 
an  ellipse. 

His  face  is  above  the  cloud  with  which  He  is  encircled: 
heaven  knows  Him  for  what  He  is ;  the  earth  not  yet ; 
though  on  the  earth  may  be  those  who  are  in  heaven's 
secret.  But  His  feet  are  like  pillars  of  fire,  and  these  are 
what  are  first  in  contact  with  the  earth,  the  indication  of 
ways  which  are  in  divine  holiness,  necessarily,  therefore, 
in  judgment,  while  the  earth  mutters  and  grows  dark 
with  rebellion. 

Now  we  have  what  reveals  to  us  whereto  we  have  ar- 
rived :  "And  he  had  in  his  hand  a  little  book  opened." 
The  seventh  seal  opens  a  book  which  had  been  seen  in 
heaven  ;  the  seventh  section  here  shows  us  another  book 
now  open,  but  a  little  book.     It  had  not  the  scope  and 
fullness  of  the  other  :  we  hear  nothing  of  how  the  writing 
fills  up  and  overflows  the  page.     It  is  a  little  book  which  . 
has  been  till  now  shut  up,  but  is  no  longer  shut  up, — 
a  book  too    whose    contents,    evidently   connected   with 
the  action  of  the   angel   here,  has  to  do  with  the  earth 
simply,  not  with  heaven  also,  as  the  seven-sealed  book 
has.    We  have  in  this  what  should  lead  us  to  what  the  ) 
book    is ;     for     the     characteristic     of     Old-Testament  1 
prophecy   is   just   this,  that  it  opens  to  us  the   earthly,  i 
not  the  heavenly  things.     Its  promises  are  Israel's^  the/ 


( 


IIO  <' THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

earthly  people  (Rom.  ix.  4),  and  it  deals  fully  with  the 
millennial  kingdom,  and  the  convulsions  which  are  its 
birth-throes.  Beyond  the  millennium,  except  in  that  brief 
reference  to  the  new  heavens  and  earth  to  which  Peter 
refers,  it  does  not  go  ;  and  the  "  new  heavens  "  are  not 
our  blessed  portion,  but  the  ^^rM-heavens,  as  Peter  very 
distinctly  shows.  There  is  no  heavenly  city  there  in 
prospect  ;  there  is  no  rule  over  the  earth  on  the  part  of 
Christ's  co-heirs,  such  as  we  have  already  found  in  the 
song  of  Revelation.  All  this  the  Christian  revelation 
adds  to  the  Old  Testament ;  while  in  Revelation  the 
millennium  is  passed  over  with  the  briefest  notice.  Here 
for  the  first  time  indeed  we  get  its  limits  set,  and  see  how 
short  it  is,  while  the  main  thing  dwelt  upon  as  to  it  is 
with  whom  shall  be  filled  those  thrones  which  Daniel  sees 
"placed,"  but  sees  not  the  occupants  (chap.  vii.  9,  R.V.). 
1  Thus  it  is  plain  how  the  book  of  Old-Testament  prophecy 
!  is,  comparatively  with  the  New,  "a  little  book." 

It  is  fully  owned  and  maintained  that  when  we  look, 
with  the  aid  of  the  New  Testament,  beyond  the  letter,  we 
can  find  more  than  this.  Types  there  are  and  shadows, 
and  that  every  where,  in  prophecy  as  well  as  history,  of 
greater  things.  Earth  itself  and  earthly  things  may  be 
and  are  symbols  of  heaven  and  the  heavenly.  The  sum- 
mer reviving  out  of  winter  speaks  of  resurrection  ;  the 
very  food  we  feed  on  preaches  life  through  death.  And 
so  more  evidently  the  Old  Testament:  for  Revelation, 
completing  the  cycle  of  the  divine  testimony,  brings  us 
back  to  paradise,  as  type  of  a  better  one  ;  and  the  latest 
unfolding  of  what  had  been  for  ages  hidden,  shows  us  in 
Adam  and  his  Eve  Christ  and  the  Church. 

But  this  manifestly  leaves  untouched  the  sense  in  which 
Old-Testament  prophecy  may  be  styled  "a  little  book." 
The  application  here  is  also  easy.  For  in  fact  the  Old- 
Testament  prgphecy  as  to  the  earth  has  been  for  long  a 
thing  waiting  for  that  fulfillment  which  shall  manifest 
and  illumine  it.    Israel  outcast  from  her  land,  upon  whom 


THE    LITTLE    OPEN    BOOK.  Ill 

the  blessing  of  the  earth  waits,  all  connected  with  this 
waits.  We  may  see  now,  indeed,  as  in  some  measure  we 
see  their  faces  set  once  more  toward  their  land,  that  other 
things  also  are  arranging  themselves  preparatory  to  the 
final  accomplishment.  But  yet  the  proper  fulfillment  of 
them  is  not  really  begun. 

In  the  meanwhile,  though  the  Lord  is  fulfilling  His 
purposes  of  grace,  and  taking  out  from  among  the  Gen- 
tiles a  people  for  His  name,  as  to  the  earth,  it  is  '*  man's 
day."  (i  Cor.  iv.  3,  niarg.)  When  He  shall  have  com- 
pleted this,  and  having  gathered  the  heavenly  saints  to 
heaven,  shall  put  to  His  hand  in  order  to  bring  in  the 
blessing  for  the  earth,  then  the  day  of  the  Lord  will  be- 
gin in  necessary  judgment,  that  the  inhabitants  of  the 
world  may  learn  righteousness.  (Is.  xxvi.  9.)  This  day  of 
the  Lord  begins,  therefore,  before  the  appearing  of  the 
Lord,  for  which  it  prepares  the  way  :  the  dawn  of  day  is 
before  the  sunrise. 

The  apostle,  in  warning  the  Thessalonians  against  the 
error  of  supposing  that  the  day  of  the  Lord  was  come 
(2  Thess.  ii.  2,  R.  V.),  gives  them  what  would  be  a  sign 
immediately  preceding  it:  "For  that  day,"  he  says,  *'  shall 
not  come  except  there  come  a  falling  away  first,  and  that 
man  of  sin  be  revealed,  the  son  of  perdition,  who  op- 
poseth  and  exalteth  himself  above  all  that  is  called  God 
or  that  is  worshiped,  so  that  he  sitteth  in  the  temple  of 
God,  showing  himself  that  he  is  God."  The  manifesta- 
tion of  the  man  of  sin  is  therefore  the  bell  that  tolls  in 
solemnly  the  day  of  the  Lord. 

This  would  seem  to  be  the  opening,  then,  of  the  "  little 
book."  Thenceforth  the  prophecies  of  the  latter  day  be- 
come clear  and  intelligible.  Now  the  apostasy  has  been 
shown,  as  it  would  seem,  in  its  beginning  under  the  fifth 
trumpet,  and  the  man  of  sin  may  well  be  the  one  spoken 
of  there  :  thus  the  little  book  may  be  fittingly  now  seen  as 
opened,  and  in  the  continuation  of  the  vision  here  we  find 
for  the  first  time  the  "beast,"  the  "7£77^ beast"  of  Daniel, 


112  *' THINGS    THAT    SHALL     BE. 

in  full  activity  (chap.  xi.  7).  All,  therefore,  seems  con- 
nected and  harmonious ;  and  we  are  emerging  out  of  the 
obscure  border-land  of  prophecy  into  the  place  where  the 
concentrated  rays  of  its  lamp  are  found. 

We  see  too  how  rapidly  the  end  draws  near  :  "  And  he 
set  his  right  foot  upon  the  sea,  and  his  left  upon  the 
earth  ;  and  he  cried  with  a  great  voice,  as  when  a  lion 
roareth."  It  is  the  preparatory  voice  of  Judah's  Lion,  as 
"suddenly  his  anger  kindles  ;"  and  the  seven  thunders, 
— the  full  divine  voice, — the  whole  government  of  God  in 
action,— answers  it  ;  but  what  they  utter  has  to  find  its 
interpretation  at  a  later  time. 

Meanwhile,  the  attitude  of  the  angel  is  explained  : 
"and  the  angel  which  I  saw  standing  upon  the  sea  and 
upon  the  earth  lifted  up  his  right  hand  to  heaven,  and 
sware  by  Him  that  liveth  forever  and  ever,  who  created 
the  heavens,  and  the  things  that  are  therein,  and  the  earth, 
and  the  things  that  are  therein,  and  the  sea,  and  the 
things  that  are  therein,  that  there  should  be  delay  no 
longer ;  but  in  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh 
angel,  when  he  is  about  to  sound" — when  he  shall  sound, 
as  he  is  about  to  do, — "  then  is  finished  the  mystery  of 
God,  according  to  the  good  tidings  which  He  hath  de^ 
clared  to  His  servants  the  prophets." 

All  is  of  a  piece  :  the  prophetic  testimony,  (the  testi- 
mony of  the  little  open  book,)  is  now  to  be  suddenly  con- 
summated, which  ends  only  with  the  glories  of  Christ's 
reign  over  the  earth.  Amid  all  the  confusion  and  evil  of 
days  so  full  of  tribulation,  that  except  they  were  merci- 
fully shortened,  no  flesh  should  be  saved  (Matt.  xxiv.  22), 
yet  faith  will  be  allowed  to  reckon  the  very  days  of  its 
continuance,  which  in  both  Daniel  and  Revelation  are 
exactly  numbered.  How  great  the  relief  in  that  day  of 
distress !  and  how  sweet  the  compassion  of  God  that  has 
provided  it  after  this  manner  !  "  He  that  endureth  to  the 
end  shall  be  saved," — shall  find  deliverance  speedy  and 
effectual,  and  find  it  in  the  coming  of  that  Son  of  Man 


THE    LITTLE    OPEN    BOOK.  113 

whose  very  title  is  a  gospel  of  peace,  and  whose  hand 
will  accomplish  the  deliverance. 

There  has  been  an  apparent  long  delay  :  "  There  shall 
be  delay*  no  longer."  Man's  day  has  run  to  its  end,  and, 
though  in  cloud  and  tempest,  the  day  of  the  Lord  at  last 
is  dawning.  Then  the  mystery  of  God  is  finished  :  the 
mystery  of  the  first  prophecy  of  the  woman's  Seed,  and 
in  which  the  whole  conflict  between  good  and  evil  is 
summarized  and  foretold.  What  a  mystery  it  has  been  ! 
and  how  unbelief,  even  in  believers,  has  stumbled  over 
the  delay  !  The  heel  of  the  Deliverer  bruised  :  a  victory 
of  patient  suffering  to'  precede  and  insure  the  final  vic- 
tory of  power !  Meantime,  the  persistence  and  apparent 
triumph  of  evil,  by  which  are  disciplined  the  heirs  of 
glory  !  Now,  all  is  indeed  at  last  cleared  up ;  the  mys- 
tery of  God  (needful  to  be  a  mystery  while  patience 
wrought  its  perfect  work,)  is  forever  finished  :  the  glory 
of  God  shines  like  the  sun  ;  faith  is  how  completely  justi- 
fied !  the  murmur  of  doubt  forever  silenced. 

Thus  the  sea  and  the  land  already,  even  while  the  days 
of  trouble  last,  know  the  step  of  the  divine  angel,  claiming 
earth  and  sea  for  Christ.  And  now  faith  (as  in  the 
prophet)  is  to  devour  the  book  of  these  wondrous  com- 
munications, sweet  in  the  mouth,  yet  at  present  bitter  in 
digestion,  for  the  last  throes  of  the  earth's  travail  are 
upon  her.  By  and  by  this  trouble  will  be  no  more 
remembered  for  the  joy  that  the  birth  of  a  new  day  is 
come, — a  day  prophesied  of  by  so  many  voices  without 
God,  but  a  day  which  can  only  come  when  God  shall 
wipe  away  the  tears  from  off  all  faces.  And  it  comes  ;  it 
comes  quickly  now :  the  voice  heard  by  the  true  Phila- 
delphian  is,  "I  come  quickly."  Come,  Lord,  and  "de- 
stroy the  face  of  the  covering  that  is  cast  over  all  peoples, 
and  the  vail  that  is  spread  over  all  nations  ;  "  come,  and 

♦There  is  no  doubt  at  all  as  to  this  being  legitimate,  and  being  so,  al- 
though the  R.  V.  still  puts  it  into  the  margin,  there  should  be  no  doubt  as 
to  its  being  the  true  x-endering. 


I  14  "  THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

swallow  up  death  in  victory,  and  take  away  the  reproach 
of  Thy  people  from  off  all  the  earth ;  come,  that  faith 
may  say  in  triumph,  "  Lo,  this  is  our  God :  we  have 
waited  for  Him,  and  He  will  save  us  :  this  is  the  Lord  ; 
we  have  waited  for  Him,  we  will  be  glad  and  rejoice  in 
His  salvation." 

The  Witnesses.  (Chap.  xi.  1-14.) 

The  last  words  of  the  preceding  chapter  receive  their 
explanation  from  what  we  have  seen  to  be  the  char- 
acter of  the  little  open  book.  If  this  be  Old  Testa- 
ment prophecy  that  is  now  "open,"  then  we  can  see 
how  John  has  at  this  point  to  ''prophesy  again,''  not 
''before,^'  but  "over," — that  is,  '^concerning  many  peoples 

f  and  nations  and  tongues  and  kings."  He  is  to  take  up 
the  strain  of  the  old  prophets,  not,  of  course,  merely  to 
echo  their  predictions,  but  to  add  to  them  a  complement- 
ary and  final  testimony. 

Accordingly  we  find  now  what  carries  us  back  to  those 
prophecies  of  Daniel  which  were  briefly  reviewed  in  our 
introductory  chapter.  The  mention  of  the  ''beast,"  and 
of  the  precise  period  of  "forty-two  months,"  or  "twelve 
hundred  and  sixty  days," — that  is,  the  half- week  of  his  last 
or  seventieth  week,  previous  to  the  coming  in  of  blessing 
for  Israel  and  the  earth,  is  by  itself  conclusive.  This 
week  we  have  seen  to  be,  in  fact,  divided  in  this  way  by 
the  taking  away  of  the  daily  sacrifice  in  the  midst  of  it 
(Dan.  ix.  27).     It  is  by  this  direct  opposition  to  God  also 

,   that  the  man  of  sin  is  revealed.     Hence  it  would  seem 

I   clear  that  it  is  with  the  last  half  of  the  week  that  we  have 

j   here  to  do. 

A  reed  like  a  staff  is  now  given  to  the  prophet  that  he 
may  measure  with  it  the  temple  of  God.  If  a  reed 
might  suggest  weakness,  as  in  fact  all  that  is  of  God 
lies  at  the  time  contemplated  under  such  a  reproach,  the 
words,  "  like  a  staff "  suggest  the  opposite  thought. 
God's  care  for  his  people  implied  in  this  measurement  is  to 


THE     WITNESSES.  II5 

unbelief  indeed  a  mystery,  for  tliey  seem  exposed  to  the 
vicissitudes  of  other  men,  yet  is  it  a  staff  upon  which  one 
may  lean  with  fullest  confidence.  His  measurement  of 
things  abides,  perfect  righteousness  and  absolute  truth, 
abiding  necessarily  as  such. 

The  temple  of  God  is,  of  course,  the  Jewish  temple, 
and  though  not  to  be  taken  literally,  still,  as  all  its  con- 
nections here  assure  us,  stands  for  Jewish  worship,  and 
not  Christian,  though  a  certain  application,  as  in  the 
historical  interpretaion,  need  not  be  denied.  The  altar,  as 
distinct  from  the  temple  proper,  is,  I  believe,  the  altar  of 
burnt-offering,  upon  which,  indeed,  for  Israel,  all  de- 
pended. It  was  there  God  met  with  the  people  (Ex.  xxix. 
43),  although,  as  we  contemplate  things  here,  the  mass  of 
the  nation  was  in  rejection,  the  court  given  up  to  the 
Gentiles,*  the  holy  city  to  be  trodden  under  foot  by 
them,  only  a  remnant  of  true  worshipers  acknowledged. 
It  may  be  said  that  the  altar  of  burnt-offering  stood  in 
the  court ;  but  the  idea  connected  with  each  is  different. 
The  court,  however,  being  given  up,  the  worshipers  recog- 
nized must  have  the  sanctuary  opened  for  them :  in  the 
rejection  of  the  mass,  God  brings  the  faithful  few  nearer 
to  Himself.     This  is  His  constant  grace. 

*'And  the  holy  city  shall  they  tread  under  foot  forty 
and  two  months."  The  "  holy  city"  can  speak  but  of  one 
city  on  earth  ;  nor  can  there  be  justifiable  doubts  as  to 
the  place  in  prophecy  of  this  half-week  of  desolation. 
The  mixture  of  literal  and  figurative  language  will  be  no 
cause  of  stumbling  to  any  one  who  has  carefully  con- 
sidered the  style  of  all  these  apocalyptic  visions,  which  are 
evidently  not  intended  to  carry  their  significance  upon 
their  face.  All  must  be  fully  weighed,  must  be  self-con- 
sistent, and  fitting  into  its  place  in  connection  with  the 
whole  prophetic  plan.  Thus  alone  can  we  have  clearness 
and  certainty  as  to  interpretation. 

*  Which  shows,  I  think,  that  it  is  not  the  court  of  the  Gentiles,  which 
belonged  to  them  of  right. 


Il6  "THINGS    THAT    SHAI-L    BK. 

As  a  man,  then,  who  has  been  sunk  in  a  long  dream  of 
sorrow,  but  to  whom  is  now  brought  inspiriting  news  of  a 
joy  in  which  he  is  called  to  have  an  active  part, — as  an 
Elijah  at  another  Horeb  after  the  wind  and  the  earth- 
quake and  the  fire  have  passed  and  He  whom  he  had 
sought — the  Lord — is  not  in  these,  but  who  is  aroused  at 
once  by  the  utterance  of  the  ''still,  small  voice," — so  the 
prophet  here  is  bidden  to  rise  and  measure  the  temple  of 
God.  Not  so  unlike,  either,  to  the  measure  given  to  the 
elder  prophet,  of  seven  thousand  men  that  had  not 
bowed  the  knee  to  the  image  of  Baal.  How  speedy  and 
thorough  a  relief  when  God  is  brought  into  the  scene  ! 
and  from  what  scene  is  He  really  absent?  How  ani- 
mating, how  courageous  a  thing,  then,  is  faith  that 
recognizes  Him! 

And  where  He  is  there  must  be  a  testimony  to  Him. 
We  find  it,  therefore,  immediately  in  this  case:  "And  I 
will  give  power  unto  My  two  witnesses,  and  they  shall 
prophesy  a  thousand,  two  hundred,  and  threescore  days 
clothed  in  sackcloth.  These  are  the  two  olive-trees,  and 
the  two  candlesticks  which  stand  before  the  Lord  of  the 
earth." 

The  reference  is  plain  to  Zechariah  (chap,  iv.),  but 
there  are  also  differences  which  are  plain.  There  it  is 
the  thing  itself  accomplished,  to  which  here  there  is  but 
testimony,  and  in  humiliation,  though  there  is  power  to 
maintain  it,  spite  of  all  opposition,  till  the  time  appointed. 
The  witnesses  are  identified  with  their  testimon}^ — that  to 
which  they  bear  witness.  Hence  the  resemblance.  They 
stand  before  the  Lord  of  the  earth, — the  One  to  whom 
the  earth  belongs,  to  maintain  His  claim  upon  it :  in 
sackcloth,  because  their  claim  is  resisted  ;  a  sufficient 
testimony  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  a  spiritual  light 
amidst  the  darkness,  but  which  does  not  banish  darkness. 

"And  if  any  man  desireth  to  hurt  them,  fire  proceedeth 
out  of  their  mouth  and  devoureth  their  enemies;  and  if 
any  man  shall  desire  to  hurt   them,  in  this  manner  must 


THE     WITNESSES.  II7 

he  be  killed.  These  have  power  to  shut  the  heaven  that 
it  rain  not  during  the  days  of  their  prophecy;  and  they 
have  power  ov^r  the  waters,  to  turn  them  into  blood,  and 
to  smite  the  earth  with  every  plague  as  often  as  they 
shall  desire." 

Here  is  not  the  grace  of  Christianity,  but  the  ministry 
of  power  after  the  manner  of  Elijah  and  of  Moses  :  judg- 
ment which  must  come  because  grace  has  been  ineffectual, 
and  of  which  the  issue  shall  be  in  blessing,  for  "  when 
Thy  judgments  are  in  the  earth,  the  inhabitants  of  the 
world  shall  learn  righteousness."  (Isa.  xxvi.  9.) 

The  association  of  Elijah  with  Moses,  which  is  evident ; 
here,  of  necessity  reminds  us  of  their  association  also  onj  U>3^ 
the  mount  of  transfiguration,  wherein,  as  a  picture,  was\   ^  ^   ^t 
presented  "the  power  and  coming  of  our    Lord   Jesus  *ev^ 
Christ."  (2  Pet.  i.  16-18.)     They  are  here  in  the  samej 
place  of  attendance   upon  their  coming  Lord.     It  does 
not  follow,  however,  that  they  are  personally  present,  as 
some  have  thought,  and  that  the  one  has  had  preserved 
to  him,  the  other  will  have  restored  to   him,  his  mortal 
body  for  that  purpose. 

The  preservation  to  Elijah  of  a  mortal  body  in  heaven  1 
seems  a  thought  weird  and  unscriptural  enough,  with  all 
its  necessary  suggestions  also.  But  the  closing  prophecy 
of  the  Old  Testament  does  announce  the  sending  of 
Elijah,  the  prophet  before  the  great  and  dreadful  day  of 
the  Lord.     Is  not  this  proof  that  so  he  must  come  ? 

Naturally,  one  would  say  so ;  but  our  Lord's  words  as 
to  John  the  Baptist,  on  the  other  hand, — "  If  ye  will  re- 
ceive it,  this  is  Elias,  which  was  for  to  come," — raise 
question.  It  has  been  answered  that  his  own  words 
deny  that  he  was  really  Elias,  and  that  Israel  did  not 
receive  him,  and  so  John  could  not  be  Elias  to  them. 
Both  things  are  true,  and  yet  do  not  seem  satisfactory  as 
argument.  That  he  was  not  Elias  literally,  only  shows, 
or  seems  to  show,  that  one  who  was  not  Elias  could,  under 
certain  conditions,  have  fulfilled  the  prediction.     While 


Il8  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    HE.'" 

Other  words  of  the  Lord — "I  say  unto  you  that  Elias  is 
come  already,  and  they  have  done  unto  him  whatsoever 
they  Hsted  " — show  even  more  strongly  that  for  that  day 
and  generation  he  was  Elias.  Why,  then,  could  not 
another,  coming  in  his  spirit  and  power,  fulfill  the 
prophecy  in  the  future  day? 

This  Revelation  seems  to  confirm,  inasmuch  as  it  speaks 
of  two  witnesses  who  are  both  marked  as  possessing  the 
spirit  and  power  of  Elias,  and  who  stand  on  an  equal 
footing  as  witnesses  for  God.  Had  it  been  one  figure 
before  the  eyes  here,  it  would  have  been  more  natural  to 
say  it  is  Elias  himself;  but  here  are  two  doing  his 
work,  nor  can  we  think  of  a  possible  third  behind  and 
unnoticed  and  yet  the  real  instrument  of  God  in  this 
crisis.  The  tivo  form  this  Elias  ministry,  which  is  to 
recall  the  hearts  of  the  fathers  to'  the  children,  and  of 
the  children  to  the  fathers,  and  who  both  lay  down 
their  lives  as  the  seal  of  their  testimony.  Put  all  this 
together,  and  does  it  not  seem  as  if  Elias  appeared  in 
others  raised  up  of  God  and  indued  with  His  Spirit, 
to  complete  the  work  for  which  he  was  raised  up  in 
Israel ? 

Much  more  would  all  this  hinder  the  reception  of 
the  thought  of  any  personal  appearance  of  Moses,  while 
there  is  no  prediction  at  all  of  any  such  thing.  Jude's 
words  (which  have  been  adduced)  as  to  the  contention 
of  Michael  with  Satan  about  the  body  of  the  lawgiver 
may  well  refer  to  the  fact  that  the  Lord  had  buried 
him,  and  no  man  knew  of  his  sepulcre.  Satan  may 
well,  for  his  own  purposes,  have  desired  to  make  known 
his  grave,  just  as  God  in  His  wisdom  chose  to  hide  it. 

Yet  the  appearance  of  Moses  and  Elias  in  connection 
with  the  appearing  of  the  Lord,  as  seen  on  the  mount  of 
transfiguration,  seems  none  the  less  to  connect  itself  with 
these  two  witnesses  and  their  work, — both  caught  away  in 
like  manner  into  the  "cloud,"  as  the  twelfth  verse  ought 
to  read.     And  Malachi,  just  before  the  declaration  of  the 


THE     WITNESSES.  II9 

mission  of  Elias,  bids  them,  on  God's  part,  *'  remember 
the  law  of  Moses  My  servant."  Moses  must  do  his  work 
as  well  as  Elias  ;  for  it  is  upon  their  turning  in  heart  to 
the  law  of  Moses  that  their  blessing  in  the  last  days  de- 
pends ;  and  thus  we  find  the  power  of  God  acting  in 
their  behalf  in  the  likeness  of  what  He  wrought  upon 
Egypt :  the  witnesses  "  have  power  over  waters,  to  turn 
them  to  blood."  It  is  not  that  Moses  is  personally  among 
them,  but  that  Moses  is  in  this  way  witnessing  for  them  ; 
and  so  the  vials  after  this  emphatically  declare. 

God  thus,  during  the  whole  time  of  trouble  and  apos- 
tasy, preserves  a  testimony  for  Himself,  until  at  the  close 
the  final  outrage  is  permitted  which  brings  down  speedy 
judgment.  For  "  when  they  shall  have  finished  their 
testimony,  the  beast  that  cometh  up  out  of  the  abyss  shall 
make  war  with  them,  and  overcome  them,  and  kill  them. 
And  their  dead  bodies  lie  in  the  street  of  the  great  city, 
which  spiritually  is  called  '  Sodom'  and  *  Egypt,'  where 
also  their  Lord  was  crucified.  And  from  among  the 
peoples  and  tribes  and  tongues  and  nations  do  men  look 
upon  their  dead  bodies  three  days  and  a  half,  and  suffer 
not  their  dead  bodies  to  be  laid  in  a  tomb.  And  they 
that  dwell  upon  the  earth  rejoice  over  them  and  make 
merry  ;  and  they  shall  send  gifts  to  one  another  ;  because 
these  two  prophets  tormented  them  that  dwell  on  the 
earth.  And  after  the  three  days  and  a  half,  the  breath 
of  life  from  God  entered  into  them,  and  they  stood  upon 
their  feet ;  and  great  fear  fell  upon  them  which  beheld 
them.  And  they  heard  a  great  voice  from  heaven  say- 
ing unto  them, '  Come  up  hither.'  And  they  went  up  into 
heaven  in  the  cloud  ;  and  their  enemies  beheld  them. 
And  in  that  hour  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  and  the 
tenth  part  of  the  city  fell  ;  and  there  were  killed  in  the 
earthquake  seven  thousand  persons  :  and  the  rest  were 
affrighted,  and  gave  glory  to  the  God  of  heaven." 

If  the  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  days  of  the  prophetic 
testimony  agree  with  the  last  half  of  the  closing  week  of 


I20  'THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

Daniel,  they  coincide  with  the  time  of  the  beast's  per- 
mitted power,  and  the  death  of  the  witnesses  is  his  last 
political  act.  That  a  certain  interval  of  time  should 
follow  before  his  judgment,  which  takes  place  under  the 
third  din(\  not  the  second  woe,  does  not  seem  to  conflict 
with  chap.  xiii.  5,  where  it  should  read,  "  power  was  given 
unto  him  to  practice'' — not  "continue," — ''forty  and  two 
months."  The  last  act  of  tyranny  may  have  been  perpe- 
trated in  the  slaying  of  the  witnesses ;  and  indeed  it 
seems  a  thing  fitted  to  be  the  close  of  power  of  this  kind 
permitted  him.  With  this  the  storm-cloud  of  judgment 
arises,  which  smites  him  down  shortly  after. 

If,  however,  the  duration  of  the  testimony  be  for  the 
first  half  of  the  week,  then  the  power  of  the  beast  begins 
with  the  slaughter  of  the  witnesses,  and  the  three  and  a 
half  years'  tribulation  follows,  which  does  not  seem  to 
consist  with  the  judgment  and  its  effects  three  and  a  half 
days  afterward.  Then,  too,  ''the  second  woe  is  past" 
{v.  14),  and  the  third  announces  the  kingdom  of  Christ  as 
having  come.  But  we  shall  yet  consider  this  more  closely 
when  we  come,  if  the  Lord  will,  to  the  interpretation  of 
the  vials. 

Here,  then,  for  the  first  time,  the  beast  out  of  the  abyss 
comes  plainly  into  the  scene.  In  Daniel,  and  in  Rev.  xiii., 
he  does  not  come  out  of  the  abyss,  but  out  of  the  sea  ; 
but  in  the  seventeenth  chapter  he  is  spoken  of  as  "  about 
to  come  up  out  of  the  abyss,"  showing  undeniably  that  it 
is  the  same  "  beast"  as  Daniel's  fourth  one, — the  Roman 
empire.  In  the  first  case,  as  coming  out  of  the  sea,  it  has 
a  common  origin  with  the  other  three  empires — the  Baby- 
lonian, Persian,  and  Grecian — out  of  the  heaving  deep  of 
Gentile  nations.  Then  we  find  in  Revelation  what  from 
Daniel  we  should  never  have  expected,  but  what  in  fact 
has  certainly  taken  place, — that  the  empire  which  is  to 
meet  its  judgment  at  the  coming  of  the  Lord  does  not 
continue  uninterruptedly  in  power  till  then.  There  is  a 
time  in  which  it  ceases  to  be, — and  we  can  measure  this 


THE     WITNESSES.  121 

time  of  non-existence  already  by  centuries, — and  then  it 
comes  back  again  in  a  peculiar  form,  as  from  the  dead: 
''the  beast  that  was  and  is  not,  and  shall  be  present." 
(Chap.  xvii.  8.)  This  rising  again  into  existence  we  would 
naturally  take  as  its  coming  up  out  of  the  abyss, — out  of 
the  death  state, — and  think  that  we  were  at  the  bottom  of 
the  whole  matter.  The  truth  seems  to  be  not  quite  so 
simple,  but  here  is  not  the  place  to  go  into  it  further. 

For  the  present,  it  is  enough  to  say  that  the  coming  up 
out  of  the  abyss  is  in  fact  a  revival  out  of  the  death  state, 
but,  as  a  comparison  with  the  fifth  trumpet  may  suggest, 
revival  by  the  dark  and  demon-influences  which  are  there 
represented  as  in  attendance  upon  the  angel  of  the  abyss. 
It  is  the  one  in  whom  is  vested  the  power  of  the  revived 
empire  who  concentrates  the  energy  of  his  hatred  against 
God  in  the  slaying  of  the  witnesses. 

The  place  of  their  death  is  clearly  Jerusalem:  "Their 
dead  bodies  lie  in  the  street  of  the  great  city,  which 
spiritually  is  called  '  Sodom  '  and  '  Egypt,'  where  also  their 
Lord  was  crucified''  Certainly  no  other  place  could  be 
so  defined  :  and  thus  defined  and  characterized  for  its 
lusts  as  Sodom,  for  its  cruelty  to  the  people  of  God  as 
Egypt,  it  is  not  now  called  the  "holy,"  but  the  "great" 
city, — great  even  in  its  crimes.  In  its  street  their  bodies 
lie,  exposed  by  the  malice  of  their  foes  which  denies  them 
burial,  but  allowed  by  God  as  the  open  indictment  of 
those  who  have  thus  definitively  rejected  His  righteous 
rule.  The  race  of  the  prophets  is  at  an  end,  which  has 
tormented  them  with  their  claim  of  the  world  for  God  ; 
and  the  men  of  the  earth  rejoice,  and  send  gifts  to  one 
another.  Little  do  they  understand  that  when  His 
testmony  is  at  an  end,  there  is  nothing  left  but  for  God 
Himself  to  come  in  and  to  manifest  a  power  before 
which  man's  power  shall  be  extinguished  as  flax  before 
the  flame. 

And  the  presage  of  this  quickly  follows.  "And  after 
the  three  days  and  a  half,  the  breath  of  life  from   God 


K 
4 


122  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL     BE. 

entered  into  them,  and  they  stood  upon  their  feet ;  and 
great  fear  fell  upon  them  which  beheld  them.  And  they 
heard  a  great  voice  from  heaven  saying  unto  them,  '  Come 
up  hither.'  And  they  went  up  into  heaven  in  the  cloud  ; 
and  their  enemies  beheld  them." 

If  this  is  the  time  of  the  addition  of  the  saints  martyred 
under  the  beast's  persecution  to  the  first  resurrection,  of 
which  the  vision  in  the  twentieth  chapter  speaks,  then  it 
is  plain  that  we  are  arrived  at  the  end  of  the  beast's 
power  against  the  saints,  and  of  the  last  week  of  Daniel. 
"Two"  is  the  number  of  valid  testimony  (Jno.  viii.  17), 
and  these  two  witnesses  may,  in  a  vision  like  that  before 
us,  stand  for  many  more, — nay,  for  this  whole  martyred 
remnant  in  Israel.  We  cannot  say  it  is  so,  but  we  can  as 
little  say  it  is  not  so  ;  and  eve^n  the  suggestion  has  its 
interest :  for  thus  this  appendix  to  the  sixth  trumpet 
seems  designed  to  put  in  place  the  various  features  of 
Daniel's  last  week,  the  details  of  which  are  opened  out  to 
us  in  the  seven  chapters  following,  with  many  additions. 
And  this  we  might  expect  in  a  connected  chain  of 
prophecy  which  stretches  on  to  the  end ;  for  under  the 
seventh  trumpet  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  are  become 
the  kingdoms  of  the  Lord,  and  of  His  Christ,  and  the 
"  time  of  the  dead  to  be  judged  "  is  at  least  contemplated. 

The  resurrection  of  the  witnesses  is  not  all :  a  great 
earthquake  follows,  "  and  the  tenth  part  of  the  city  fell ; 
and  there  were  killed  in  the  earthquake  seven  thousand 
persons ;  and  the  rest  were  affrighted,  and  gave  glory  to 
the  God  of  heaven." 

Thus  the  sixth  trumpet  ends  in  a  convulsion  in  which 
judgment  takes,  as  it  were,  the  refused  tithe  from  a  re- 
bellious people.  There  is  a  marked  similarity  here  be- 
tween the  trumpets  and  the  vials,  which  end  also  in  an 
earthquake  and  judgment  of  the  great  city :  as  to  which 
we  may  see  further  in  its  place.  The  rest  that  are  not 
slain  give  glory  to  the  God  of  heaven.  It  is  the  unac- 
ceptable   product   of    mere    human    fear,  which   has  no 


THE    KINGDOM.  123 

practical  result ;  for  God  is  claiming  the  earth,  not  simply 
heaven,  and  for  the  affirmation  of  this  claim  His 
witnesses  have  died.  They  can  allow  Him  heaven  who 
deny  Him  earth.     And  judgment  takes  its  course. 

The  second  woe  ends  with  this,  and  the  third  comes 
quickly  after  it. 

The  Kingdom.  (Chap.  xi.  15-18.) 

The  third  woe  is  the  coming  of  the  kingdom  ! 

Yes  ;  that  to  greet  which  the.  earth  breaks  out  in  glad- 
ness, the  morning  without  clouds,  the  day  which  has  no 
night,  and  the  fulfillment  of  the  first  promise  which  fell 
upon  man's  ears  when  he  stood  a  naked  sinner  before  God 
to  hear  his  doom,  the  constant  theme  of  prophecy  now 
swelling  into  song  and  now  sighed  out  in  prayer,  that 
kingdom  is  yet,  to  the  *'  dwellers  upon  earth,"  the  last 
and  deepest  woe. 

The  rod  of  iron  is  now  to  smite,  and  omnipotence  it  is 
that  wields  it.  "  And  the  seventh  angel  sounded,  and 
there  followed  great  voices  in  heaven,  and  they  said, 
'The  kingdom  of  the  world  is  become  the  kingdom  of 
our  Lord  and  of  His  Christ,  and  He  shall  reign  forever 
and  ever.' " 

Few  words  and  concise,  but  how  pregnant  with  blessed 
meaning!  The  earth  that  has  rolled  from  its  orbit  is 
reclaimed;  judgment  has  returned  to  righteousness ;  He 
who  has  learned  for  Himself  the  path  of  obedience  in  a 
suffering  which  was  the  fruit  of  tender  interest  in  man 
has  now  Himself  the  sceptre  ;  nor  is  there  any  power 
that  can  take  it  out  of  His  hand. 

There  are  no  details  yet :  simply  the  announcement, 
which  the  elders  in  heaven  answer  with  adoration,  pros- 
trate upon  their  faces,  saying,  "  We  give  Thee  thanks,  O 
Lord  God  the  Almighty,  who  art  and  who  wast,  that  Thou 
hast  taken  Thy  great  power,  and  hast  reigned.  And  the 
nations  were  angry,   and  Thy  wrath   is  come,  and  the 


124  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

time  of  the  dead  to  be  judged,  and  to  give  their  reward 
to  Thy  servants  the  prophets,  and  to  the  saints,  and  to 
them  that  fear  Thy  name,  small  and  great ;  and  to  destroy 
them  that  destroy  the  earth." 

There  is  nothing  difficult  here  in  the  way  of  interpre- 
tation, except  that  the  "time  of  the  dead  to  be  judged" 
seems  to  come  with  the  period  of  the  earthly  judgments 
which  introduce  millennial  blessing.  We  find  in  the 
twentieth  chapter  full  assurance  that  this  is  not  to  be. 
The  explanation  is  that  we  have  here  the  setting  up  of 
the  kingdom  in  its  full  results,  and  that  the  order  is  one 
of  thought  and  not  of  time.  The  judgments  of  the  quick 
(or  living)  and  of  the  dead  are  both  implied  in  the  reign 
of  our  Lord  and  of  His  Christ,  though  they  are  not  exe- 
cuted together.  God's  wrath  is  mentioned  first,  because 
it  is  for  the  earth  the  pre-requisite  of  blessing,  and 
because  judgment  is  not  what  He  rests  in,  but  in  His 
love.  It  is  therefore  put  first,  that  the  realization  of  the 
blessing  may  come  after,  and  not  give  place  to  it.  But  this 
wrath  of  God  which  meets  and  quells  the  nations'  wrath 
goes  on  and  necessitates  the  judgment  of  the  dead  also. 
Death  is  no  escape  from  it :  the  coming  One  has  the  keys 
of  death  and  hades. 

With  this  the  holiness  of  God  is  satisfied,  and  the  love 
in  which  He  rests  is  free  to  show  itself  in  the  reward  of 
prophets  and  saints,  and  those  who  fear  His  name,  little 
as  well  as  great.  This  seems  as  general  in  its  aspect  as 
the  judgment  of  the  dead  on  the  other  side  unquestion- 
ably is.  The  foremost  mention  of  the  prophets,  as  those 
who  have  stood  for  God  in  testimony  upon  the  earth,  is 
in  perfect  keeping  with  the  character  of  the  whole  book 
before  us.  And  the  destruction  of  those  who  destroy  the 
earth  is  not  noticed  here  apparently  as  judgment  so 
much  as  to  assure  us  of  the  reparation  of  the  injury  to 
that  which  came  out  of  His  hands  at  first,  and  in  which 
He  has  never  ceased  to  have  tender  interest,  despite  the 
permitted  evil  of  "  man's  day." 


THE    TRINITY    OF    EVIL,    ETC.  1 25 


PART   IIL 


THE  TRINITY  OF  EVIL,  AND   THE  MANIFESTATION  OF 
THE  WICKED  ONE. 


Commencing  Fulfillment  of  the  First  Promise 
[to  the  Woman's  Seed].    (Chap.  xi.  19-xii.) 

THE  trumpets,  as  we  have  seen,  carry  us  to  the  end 
of  all.  What  follows  here,  therefore,  is  not  in  con- 
tinuation of  them,  but  a  new  beginning,  in  which 
we  find  the  development  of  details, — of  course  as  to 
what  is  of  primary  importance,  and  involving  principles 
of  the  deepest  interest  and  value  for  us.  Through  all,  the 
links  between  the  Old  Testament  and  the  New  are  fully 
maintained,  and  we  have  the  full  light  of  the  double  testi- 
mony. On  our  part,  we  shall  need  on  this  account  a 
more  patient  and  protracted  examination  of  that  which 
comes  before  us. 

The  last  verse  of  the  eleventh  chapter  belongs  properly^ 
to  the  twelfth.     It  characterizes  what  is  to  follow  ratherj 
than  what  precedes,  and,  when  we  remember  that  Israel 
is  upon  the  scene,  is  of  greatest  significance.    The  temple^ 
of  God  is  opened   in   heaven,  and   there  is  seen  in  His, 
temple  the  ark  of  His  covenant.     From  the  world  below^ 
\\.  had  disappeared,  and  the  temple  itself  been  overthrown,') 
— the   testimony  of    His   displeasure    with    an    apostate/ 
people.     Nor,  though  the  temple  were  replaced,  as  after 
the  Babylonish  captivity  had  been  the  case,  could  the  ark 
ever  be  restored  by  man's  hand.     It  was  gone,  and  with 
it  the  token  of  Jehovah's  presence  in  the  midst — a  loss 
evidently  irretrievable  from  man's  side.    Yet  if  Israel  had 
no  longer  thus  the  assurance  of  what  they  were  to  Him, 
in  heaven  all  the  time,  though  in  secret,  the  unchangeable 


i26  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

goodness  of  God  remained.     The  ark  abode,  as  it  were, 
with  Him,  and  the  time  was  now  come  to  manifest  this: 
.  the  inner  sanctuary  of  the  heavens  was  opened,  and  there 
was  the  ark  still  seen. 

To  us  who  are  accustomed  to  translate  these  types  into 
the  realities  they  represent,  this  is  all  simple.  The  ark 
is  Christ,  and,  as  the  gold  outside  the  shittim-wood  de- 
clared, is  Christ  iii  glory,  gone  up  after  His  work  accom- 
plished— the  work  which  had  provided  the  precious  blood 
which  had  sprinkled  the  mercy-seat.  Israel  had  indeed 
rejected  the  lowly  Redeemer,  and  imprecated  upon  them- 
selves the  vengeance  due  to  those  who  shed  it.  Yet,  though 
the  wrath  came,  Israel  was  neither  totally  nor  finally  re- 
jected. The  blood  of  Jesus  speaketh  better  things  than 
that  of  Abel,  and  is  before  God  the  justification  of  a  grace 
.  that  shall  yet  be  shown  them.  The  literal  ark  is  passed 
away,  as  Jeremiah  tells  us,  never  to  return;  but  instead  of 
I  that  throne  of  His  of  old,  a  more  magnificent  grace  has 
j  declared  that  Jerusalem  itself  shall  be  called  ''the  throne 
of  the  Lord;  and  all  the  nations  shall  be  gathered  unto  it, 
to  the  name  of  the  Lord,  to  Jerusalem;  neither  shall  they 
walk  any  more  after  the  imagination  of  their  evil  heart." 
(Jer.  iii.  i6,  17.) 

The  ark,  then,  seen  in  the  temple  in  heaven  is  the  sign  of 
God's  unforgotten  grace  toward  Israel;  but  the  nations 
are  not  yet  ready  to  welcome  that  grace,  nor  indeed  are  the 
people  themselves,  save  a  remnant,  who  on  that  account 
pass  through  the  bitterest  persecution.  To  that  the  chap- 
ter following  bears  decisive  testimony,  as  it  does  of  the 
interference  of  God  for  them.  Therefore  is  it  that  when 
the  sign  of  His  faithfulness  to  His  covenant  is  seen  in 
heaven,  on  the  earth  there  ensue  convulsion  and  a  storm 
of  divine  wrath:  "there  were  lightnings,  and  voices,  and 
thunders,  and  an  earthquake,  and  great  hail." 

And  now  a  "great  sign  "  appears  in  heaven,  "a  woman 
clothed  with  the  sun,  and  the  moon  under  her  feet, 
and   upon  her  head  a  crown  of   twelve  stars;  and   she 


THE    TRINITY    OF    EVIL,    ETC.  I27 

being  with  child  cried,  travaihig  in  birth,  and  in  pain  to 
be  delivered." 

The  sign  appears  in  heaven,  not  because  the  woman  ^.-'^'^ 
is  actually  there,  but  because  she  is  seen  according  to  the        ^^^ 
mind  of  God  toward  her.     Who  the  woman  is  should  be  \ff^ 
quite  plain,  as  the  child  she  brings  forth  is  He  who  is  to 
rule  all  nations    with    a    rod    of    iron.     That  is  Christ,  jl^^^ 
assuredly,  and  the  mother  of  Christ  is  not  the  virgin,  as  A^ 

we  see  clearly  by  what  follows,  still  less  the  Church,  of  ^^v-*''     '  ' 
which  in  no  sense  is  Christ  born,  but  Israel,  "  of  whom,  as  ^  *  (J^v^ 
concerning  the  flesh,  Christ  came,"  says  the  apostle.  (Rom.   '^^ 
ix.  4.)     Thus  she  is  seen  clothed  with  the  glory  of  the 
sun, — that  is,  of  Christ  Himself  as  He  will  presently  ap- 
pear (Mai.  iv.  2)   in   supreme  power,  for  the  sun   is  the 
ruler  of  the  day.     As  a  consequence,  her  glory  of  old, 
before  the  day-dawn,  the  reflected  light  of   her  typical 
system,  is  like  the  moon  here  under  her  feet.     Upon  her  | 
head  the  crown  of  twelve  stars  speaks   naturally  of  her 
twelve  tribes, — planets  now  around  the  central  sun.  ' 

The  next  words  carry  us  back,  however,  historically,  to 
the  time  before  Christ.  She  is  in  travail  with  Messiah, —  ^ 
a  thoughTharH  to  realize  or  understand,  except  as  we ' 
realize  what  the  fulfillment  of  God's  promise  as  to  Christ 
involved  in  the  way  of  suffering  on  the  part  of  the  nation. 
To  them  while  under  the  trial  of  law,  and  with  the  issue 
(to  man's  thought,  of  course,)  uncertain,  Christ  could  not 
be  born;  the  prosperous  days  of  David  must  go  by;  the 
heirs  of  David  be  allowed  to  show  out  what  was  in  their 
heart,  and  be  carried  to  Babylon;  humiliation,  sorrow, 
captivity,  fail  to  produce  result,  until  the  voice  of 
prophecy  even  lapses  with  Malachi;  until  the  long  silence, 
as  of  death,  is  broken  by  the  cry  at  last,  "  To  us  a  child 
is  born."  Here  is  at  least  one  purpose,  as  it  would  seem, 
of  that  triple  division  of  the  genealogy  of  the  Lord  in 
Matthew,  the  governmental  gospel,  in  which  the  first 
fourteen  generations  bring  one  to  the  culmination  of  their 
national  prosperity,  the  second  is  a  period   of  decline  to 


128  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL     BE. 

the  captivity,  the  third  a  period  of  resurrection,  but  which 
only  comes  at  last,  and  as  in  a  moment,  after  the  failure 
of  every  natural  hope.  •  Thus  in  the  government  of  God 
Israel  must  have  her  travail-time. 

But  before  we  see  the  birth  of  the  man-child,  we  are 
called  to  look  at  "another  sign  in  heaven,"  "a  great 
red  dragon,  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  and  seven 
diadems  upon  his  heads."  These  heads  and  horns  we 
shall  presently  find  upon  the  fourth  beast,  or  world- 
empire,  but  we  are  not  left  doubtful  as  to  who  the  dragon 
is.  Here  we  find  the  first  in  all  this  part  of  those  inter- 
pretations which  are  given  henceforth  here  and  there 
throughout  the  book:  the  dragon  is  "that ancient  serpent 
which  is  called  the  devil  and  Satan,  which  deceiveth  the 
whole  world."  Thus  as  the  dawn  rises  upon  the  battle- 
field the  combatants  are  discerned.  It  is  Satan  who  here 
as  the  "  prince  of  this  world  "  appears  as  if  incarnate  in 
the  last  world-empire.  "Seven  heads"  show  perfection 
of  world- wisdom;  and  every  one  of  these  heads  wears  a 
diadem,  or  despotic  crown.  The  symbolic  meaning  of  the 
number  does  not  at  all  preclude  another  meaning 
historically,  as  Scripture-history  is  every  where  itself 
symbolic,  as  is  nature  also.  The  ten  horns  measure  the 
actual  extent  of  power,  and  infer  by  their  number  re- 
sponsibility and  judgment.  \ 

The  serpent  of  old  has  thus  grown  into  a  dragon — a 
monster — "fiery  red,"  as  the  constant  persecutor  of  the 
people  of  God,  and  he  draws  with  his  tail  the  third  part 
of  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  casts  them  to  the  earth.  The 
analogy  of  the  action  of  the  little  horn  in  Daniel  (viii.  lo), 
as  well  as  the  scope  of  the  prophecy  before  us,  would  lead 
us  to  think  here  of  Jews,  not  Christians,  and  certainly  not 
angels,  as  to  whom  the  idea  of  casting  them  to  the  earth 
would  seem  quite  inappropriate.  The  "tail"  implies  the 
false  prophet  (Isa.  ix.  15),  and  therefore  it  is  apostasy 
among  the  professing  people  of  God  that  is  indicated. 
False    teaching    is    eminently    characteristic  of    satanic 


THE    TRINITY    OF    EVIL,    ETC.  I29 

power  at  all  times,  and   far  more  successful  than  open 
violence. 

And  the  dragon  stood  before  the  woman  which  was 
ready  to  be  delivered,  to  devour  her  child  as  soon  as  it 
was  born.  And  she  was  delivered  of  a  son,  a  man-child, 
who  is  to  rule  all  the  nations  with  a  rod  of  iron:  and  her 
child  was  caught  up  to  God,  and  to  His  throne," 

The  power  of  Satan,  working  through  the  heathen 
empire  of  Rome,  was  thus,  with  better  knowledge  than 
Rome  had,  in  armed  watch  against  the  woman  and  her 
seed.  The  census  mentioned  in  Luke  as  to  have  gone 
into  effect  at  the  time  of  Christ's  birth,  and  which  was 
actually  carried  out  after  the  sceptre  had  wholly  departed  / 
from  Judah,  was  in  effect  a  tightening  of  the  serpent-  J 
coil  around  his  intended  victim.  Divine  power  used  it  to 
bring  a  Galilean  carpenter  and  his  wife  to  Bethlehem,  and 
then,  as  it  were  without  effort,  canceled  the  imperial 
edict.  Only  from  the  nation  itself  could  come  the  sen- 
tence which  should,  as  far  as  man  could  do  so,  destroy  it, 
and  that  sentence  was  in  Pilate's  handwriting  upon  the 
cross.  But  from  the  cross  and  the  guarded  grave  the  ' 
woman's  Seed  escaped  victoriously:  "her  child  was 
caught  up  to  God,  and  to  His  throne." 

All  is  thus  far  easy  of  interpretation.  In  what  follows,^ 
there  is  more  difficulty,  although  it  admits  of  satisfactory 
solution.  "  And  the  woman  fled  into  the  wilderness, 
where  she  has  a  place  prepared  of  God,  that  there  they ; 
may  nourish  her  a  thousand,  two  hundred,  and  threescore 
days." 

There  Daniel's  seventieth  week  comes  in  again,  and!^(^ 
evidently  the  last  half  of  it.  But  the  prophecy  goes  ont  1 
immediately  from  the  ascension  of  Christ  to  this  time,  not 
noticing  a  gap  of  more  than  eighteen  centuries  which  has 
already  intervened  between  these  periods.  How,  then, 
can  we  explain  this  omission  ?  and  granting  it  can  be 
explaiaed,  what  is  the  connection  between  these  two 
things  that  seem,  in  more  than  time,  so  far  apart, — the 


130  "things  that  shall  be." 

ascension  of  Christ,  and  Israel's  flight  into  the  wilderness 
for  this  half-week  of  years? 

The  answer  to  the  first  question  is  to  be  found  in  a 
character  of  Old-Testament  prophecy  of  which  already 
we  have  had  one  example,  and  that  in  the  prophecy 
of  the  seventy  weeks  itself.  The  last  week,  although 
part  of  a  strictly  determined  time  on  Israel,  is  cut  off 
from  the  sixty-nine  preceding  by  a  gap  slightly  longer 
than  that  in  the  vision  before  us,  the  sixty-ninth  week 
reaching  only  to  "  Messiah  the  Prince."  (Dan.  ix.  25.)  He 
is  cut  off  and  has  nothing:  the  blessing  cannot,  therefore, 
come  in  for  them;  instead,  there  is  a  time  of  warfare — a 
controversy  between  God  and  the  people  which  is  not 
'  measured,  and  which  is  not  yet  come  to  an  end.  Of  this 
the  seventieth  week  is  the  conclusion,  while  it  is  also  the 
time  of  their  most  thorough  apostasy — the  time  to  which 
'  we  have  come  in  this  part  of  Revelation. 

This  lapse  of  prophecy  as  to  Israel  is  coincident  with 
the  Christian  dispensation,  the  period  in  which  God  is 
taking  out  of  the  earth  (and  characteristically  out  of  the 
Gentile  nations,)  a  heavenly  people.  True,  there  are  Jews 
saved  still, — -"there  is,"  as  the  apostle  says,  "at  the 
present  time  also,  a  remnant  according  to  the  election  of 
grace."  But  these  are  no  longer  partakers  of  Jewish 
hopes:  blessed  be  God,  they  have  better  ones;  but  the 
nation  as  such  in  the  meanwhile  is  given  up,  as  Micah 
distinctly  declares  to  them  should  be  the  case,  while  he 
also  declares  to  them  the  reason  oi  this,  and  the  limit 
which  God  has  appointed  to  it.  His  words  are  one  of 
the  clearest  of  Old-Testament  prophecies  to  Christ,  so 
clear  that  nothing  can  be  clearer,  and  are  those  cited  by 
the  chief  priests  and  scribes  themselves  in  proof  of 
\  "where  Christ  should  be  born."  "They  shall  smite  the 
^  Judge  of  Israel,"  says  the  prophet,  "  with  a  rod  upon  the 
^  cheek."  It  is  His  people  who  do  this, — His  own,  to  whom 
He  came,  and  they  "  received  Him  not."  Then  he  de- 
clares the  glory  of  the  rejected  One:  "But  thou,  Bethle- 


THE    TRINITY    OF    EVIL,    ETC.  I31 

hem-Ephratah,  though  thou  be  Httle  among  the  thousands 
of  Judah,  3'et  out  of  thee  shall  He  come  forth  unto  Me, 
that  is  to  be  Ruler  in  Israel,  whose  goings  forth  have  been 
of  old,  from  everlasting."  (Chap.  v.  i,  2.)  But  what  will 
be  the  result  then  of  His  rejection?  This  is  answered 
immediately:  "Therefore  will  Wt  give  them  ?//,  until  the 
time  that  she  which  travaileth  hath  brought  forth;  then 
the  remnant  of  His  brethren  shall  return  unto  the  children 
of  Israel." 

The  last  sentence  of    this  remarkable  prophecy  is  a : 
clear  intimation  of  what  we  know  to  be  the  fact,  that  in  ^ 
this  time  of  national  rejection  there  would  be  "brethren"; 
— Jewish  evidently — of  this  Judge  of  Israel,  whose  place- 
would  not  be  with  Israel;  while  at  the  end  of  the  time 
specified,  such  converted  ones   would    again    find  their 
place  in  the  nation.     Meanwhile,  Israel  being  given  up, 
the  blessing  of  the  earth  which  waits  upon  theirs  is  sus- 
pended also:    the  shadow   rests   upon  the  dial-plate  of 
prophecy;  time  is  as  it  were  uncounted.     Christ  is  gone 
up   on   high,  and   sits  upon    the    Father's    throne:    the 
kingdom   of    heaven    is    begun,    indeed,    but    only    its 
"mysteries,"   unknown  to   the    Old    Testament,  "things 
which  have  been  kept  secret  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world."  (Matt.  xiii.  11,  35.) 

Here,  then,  where  we  return  to   take  up  the  thread, 
of  Old-Testament  prophecy,  it  is  no  wonder  if  the  style  o{\  1 

the  Old  Testament  be  again  found.     We  have  again  theL    ^  ^ 
gap  in  time  uncounted,  the  Christian  dispensation  treated] ^^ 
as  a  parenthesis  in  God's  ways  with  the  earth,  and  the 
woman's  Seed  caught  away  to  God  and  to  His  throne. 
Then  follows,  without  apparent  interval,  the  Jewish  flight 
into  the  wilderness  during  the  three  and  a  half  years  of  j 
unequaled  tribulation. 

But  this  does  not  answer  the  second  question — that  as 
to  the  connection  between  the  catching  away  of  the  man- 
child  and  the  woman's  flight.  For  this  we  must  look 
deeper  than  the  surface,  and  gather  the  suggestions  which 


132  *'  THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

in  Scripture  every-where  abound,  and   here  onl}^  more 

openly  tiian  usual  demand  attention. 

I       That  which  closes  the  Christian  dispensation  we  have 

;  seen  to  be  what  is  significantly  parallel  to  that  which 

1  opens  it.     In  the  Acts,  the  history  of  the  Church  is  pref- 

1  aced    with  the    ascension  of  the  Lord:  that  which  will 

k  close  its  history  is  the   removal    of    His  people.     This 

naturally  raises  the  inquiry,  If  Clirist  and  His  people  be 

so  one  as  in  the  New  Testament  they  are   continually 

represented,  may  not  the  man-child  here  include  both, 

and  the  gap  be  bridged  over  in  this  way?     The  promise 

to  the  overcomer  in  Thyatira  links  them  together  in  what 

is   attributed   to  the  man-child — the  ruling  the  nations 

with  a  rod  of   iron;    and  the  mention  of  this  seems  to 

intimate    the    time    for    the   assumption   of   the   rod    at 

hand. 

This,  then,  completes  the  picture  and  harmonizes  it,  so 
that  it  may  be  well  accepted  as  the  truth;  especially  as 
this  acceptance  only  recognizes  that  which  is  otherwise 
known  as  true,  and  makes  no  additional  demands  upon 
belief. 

The  man-child  caught  up  to  God  and  to  His  throne, 
the  woman  flies  into  the  wilderness,  into  a  place  prepared 
of  God,  where  they  nourish  her  for  the  time  of  trouble. 
The  woman  is  the  nation  as  in  the  sight  of  God;  not  all 
Israel,  nor  even  all  the  saints  in  Israel,  but  those  who  are 
ordained  of  God  to  continue,  and  who  therefore  represent 
it  before  Him.  The  apostate  mass  are  cut  off  by  judg- 
ment (Zech.  xiii.  8,  9;  Isa.  iv.  3,  4).  The  martyred  saints 
go  up  to  heaven.  Still  God  preserves  a  people  to  be  the 
nucleus  of  the  millennial  nation,  and  this,  of  course,  it  is 
the  special  desire  of  Satan  to  destroy.  They  are  preserved 
by  the  hand  of  God,  though  amid  trial  such  as  the 
"  wilderness"  naturally  indicates,  and  which  is  designed 
of  God  for  their  purification. 

And  now  there  ensues  that  which  in  the  common  be- 
lief of  Christians  had  long  before  taken  place,  but  which 


THE    TRINITY    OF    EVIL,    ETC. 


^33 


in  fact  is  the  initial  stage  of  final  judgment, — Satan  is  \ 
cast  out  of  heaven.  ; 

"And  there  was  war  in  heaven:  Michael  and  his  angels      )^^M^ 
fought  against  the  dragon;  and  the  dragon  fought  and^^      s 


s  angels,  and   prevailed   not;    neither  was  their  place  a^ 


>v' 


found  any  more  in  heaven.     And  the  great  dragon  was 
cast  out, — that  old   serpent  called  the  devil  and  Satan,  f^"^^ 
which  deceiveth  the  whole  world:  he  was  cast  out  into  tkj^^*^ 
the  earth,  and  his  angels  were  cast  out  with  him."  * 

As  I  have  said,  the  simplest  interpretation  of  this  is  &        j^ 
\  counter  to  the  common  belief   of   Christendom.     Satan  \0^ 
*  has,  according  to  the  thought  of  many,  long  been  in  hell, 
though  he  is  (strangely  enough)  allowed  to  leave  it  and^j 
ramble  over  the  earth  at  will.    To  these,  it  is  a  grotesque,  ) 
weird  and  unnatural  thought  that  the  devil  should  havei 
been  suffered  all  this  time  to  remain  in  heaven.     Man 
has  evidently  been  allowed  to  remain  on  earth,  but  then 
— beside  the  fact  of  death  removing  his  successive  gener- 
ations— toward  /lim  there  are  purposes  of  mercy  in  which 
Satan   has  no  part.     The  vision-character  of  Revelation 
may  be  objected  against  it  also,  so  that  the  simplest  inter- 
pretation may  seem  on  that  very  account  the  widest  from 
the  truth.    Does  not  our  Lord  also  say  that  He  saw  *'  Satan 
fall  as  lightning  from  heaven"?  (Luke  x.  i8.)     And  the 
apostle,  that  the  angels  which  sinned.  He*  cast  down  to 
,    hell?  (2  Pet.  ii.  4;  Jude  6.)     Such  passages  would  seem 
with  many  decisively  to  affirm  the  ordinary  view. 

In  fact,  it  is  only  the  last  passages  that  have  any  real 

force;    and    here    another    has    said,  "  It   seems  hardly 

possible  to  consider  Satan  as  one  of  these," — the  angels 

spoken  of, — "for  they  are  in  chains,  and  guarded  till  the 

;    great  day;    he  is  still   permitted    to    go    about    as   the 

I  tempter  and  the  adversary,  until  his  appointed  time  be 

)  come."*     As  to  our  Lord's  words,  they  are  easily  to  be/^ 


♦Principal  Bany,  in  Smith's  Dictionary.    The  question  as  to  the  class  of 
angels  here  referred  to,  this  is  hardly  the  place  to  entertain. 


134  "things  that  shall  be." 

I  understood  as  in  the  manner  often  of  prophecy,  *'  I  saw," 

{  being  equivalent  to  ''  1/oresa.w." 

f       On  the  other  hand,  that  the  "  spiritual  hosts  of  wicked- 

iness"  with    which    now   we    wrestle   are   "in    heavenly 
places"  is  told  us  plainly  in  Ephesians  (vi.  i2,R.V.)\  and 
'  in  the  passage  in  Revelation  before  us,  no  less  plainly. 
•For  the  connection  of  this  vision  with  what  is  still  future 
we  have  already  seen,  and  shall  see  further,  and  the  ap- 
plication to  Satan  personally  ought  not  to  be  in  doubt. 
\  The  "dragon"  is  indeed  a  symbol;  but  "the  devil  and 
'    Satan,"  is  the   interpretation  of  it,  and  certainly  not  as 
{   figurative  as  the  dragon  itself. 

Scripture  implies  also  in  other  ways  what  we  have  here. 
When  the  apostle  speaks  of  our  being  "sealed  with  the 
Holy  Spirit  of  promise,  which  is  the  earnest  of  our  in- 
heritance,"   he  adds    that  it   is   to    be    that  "until  the 
redemption  of  the  purchased  possession," — that  is,  until 
we  get  the  inheritance  itself  (Eph.  i.  14).     But  we  get  it 
then  by  redemption,  not  our  own,  but  of  the  inheritance 
itself.     Our  inheritance  has  therefore  to  be  redeemed,  and 
this  redemption  takes  place  manifestly  when  the  heirs  as 
a  whole  are  ready  for  it.     Now  redemption,  it  is  plain, 
in  this  case,  like  the  redemption  of  the  body,  is  a  re- 
demption by  power, — God  laying  hold  of  it  to  set  it  free 
in  some  sense  from  a  condition  of  alienation  from  Him- 
y  self,  and  to  give  his  people  possession.     And  if  the  man- 
\  child  include  "  those  who  are  Christ's  at  His  coming,"  then 
Uhe  purging  of  the  heavenly  places  by  the  casting  of  Satan 
I  and  his  angels  out  is  just  the  redemption  of  the  heavenly 
^inheritance. 

f  Elsewhere  we  read,  accordingly,  of  the  reconciliation  of 
heavenly  as  of  earthly  things  (Col.  i.  20).  And  this  is  a 
phrase  which,  like  the  former,  implies  alienation 
previously.  And  here  it  is  on  the  ground  of  the  cross: 
"having  made  peace  through  the  blood  of  the  cross."  In 
Hebrews,  again,  as  "  it  was  necessary  that  the  patterns  of 
things  in  the  heavens  " — as  in  the  tabernacle — "  should 


THE    TRINITY    OF    EVIL,    ETC.  I35 

be  purified  with"  sacrificial  blood,  so  must  "the  heavenly 
things  themselves  with  better  sacrifices  than  these."  (Heb. 
ix.  23.)  The  work  of  Christ  having  glorified  God  as  to  the 
sin  which  has  defiled  not  the  earth  only  but  the  heavens, 
He  can  come  in  to  deliver  and  bring  back  to  Himself 
what  is  to  be  made  the  inheritance  of  Christ  and  His 
"joint-heirs." 

All  is,  then,  of  a  piece  with  what  is  the  only  natural 
meaning  of  this  war  in  heaven.  The  question  of  good 
and  evil,  every-where  one,  receives  its  answer  for  heaven 
as  for  earth,  first,  in  the  work  of  Christ,  which  glorifies 
God  as  to  all,  and  then,  as  the  fruit  of  this,  in  the  re- 
covery of  what  was  alienated  from  Him,  the  enemies  of 
this  glorious  work  being  put  under  Christ's  feet.  This\  j^ 
now  begins  to  be,  though  even  yet  in  a  way  which  to  us  ^  \p^ 
may  seem  strange:  strange  to  us  it  seems  to  hear  of  war  ^^ 

in  heaven, — of  arrayed  hosts  on  either  side, — of  resist-  '\\jLr^ 
ance  though  unsuccessful,  the  struggle  being  left  as  it ', 
would  seem  to  creature-prowess,  God  not  directly  interfer-  * 
ing:  "Michael  and  his  angels  fought  with  the  dragon;, 
and  the  dragon  fought  and  his  angels,  and  prevailed, 
not."  ^ 

After  all,  is  it  stranger  that  this  should  be  in  heaven 
than  on  the  earth?  Are  not  God's  ways  one?  And  is 
not  all  the  long-protracted  struggle  allowed  purposely  to 
work  out  to  the  end  thus,  the  superior  power  being  left  to 
show  itself  as  the  power  resident  in  the  good  itself, 
as  in  that  which  is  the  key  of  the  whole  problem,  the  cross 
of  the  Son  of  Man?  If  God  Himself  enter  the  contest, 
He  adapts  Himself  to  the  creature-conditions,  and  comes 
in  on  the  lowest  level, — not  an  angel  even,  but  a  man. 

Let  us  look  again  at  the  combatants:  on  the  one  side  is 
Michael — "Who  is  like  God?" — a  beautiful  name  for  the 
leader  in  such  a  struggle !  On  the  opposite  side  is  he 
who  first  said  to  the  woman,  "  K?  shall  be  as  God;"  and 
whose  pride  was  his  own  condemnation  (i  Tim.  iii.  6). 
How  clearly  the  moral  principle  of  the  contest  is  here 


136  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

defined  !     Keep  but  the  creature's  place,  you  are  safe, 

happy,  holy;    the  enemy  shall    not    prevail  against  you: 

I  leave  it,  you  are  lost.    The  ''  dragon  " — from  a  root  which 

/  speaks  of  "keen  sight" — typifies  what  seems  perhaps  a 

preternatural  brilliancy  of  intellect,  serpent-cunning,  the 

full  development  of  such  "wisdom"  as  that  with  which  he 

tempted  Eve,  but  none  of  that  which  begins  with  the  fear 

of    God.     He  is  therefore,  like  all  that  are  developed 

merely    upon     one    side,    a     monster.     This     want    of 

'  conscience  is  shown  in  his  being  the  devil — the  "  false 

i  accuser;"  his  heart  is  made  known  in  his  being  Satan — 

)  the  adversary. 

These  are  the  types  of  those  that  follow  them;  and 
Michael  is  always  the  warrior-angel,  characterized  as  he 
is  by  his  name,  as  Gabriel — ^' man  of  God" — is  the  mes- 
senger of  God  to  men.  If  God  draw  near  to  men,  it  is 
in  the  tender  familiarity  of  manhood  that  He  does  so. 
How  plainly  do  these  names  speak  to  us ! 

In  the  time  of  distress  that  follows  upon  earth,  Daniel  is 
told  that  "Michael  shall  stand  up,  the  great  prince  that 
standeth  for  the  children  of  thy  people;  .  .  .  and  at  that 
time  thy  people  shall  be  delivered,  every  one  that  shall 
be  found  written  in  the  book."  Here  in  Revelation  we 
have  the  heavenly  side  of  things,  and  still  it  is  Michael 
that  stands  up  as  the  deliverer.  The  tactics  of  divine 
warfare  are  not  various,  but  simple  and  uniform.  Truth 
is  simple  and  one;  error  manifold  and  intricate.  The 
spiritual  hosts  fight  under  faith's  one  standard,  and  it  is 
the  banner  of  Michael,  "Who  is  like  God?"  Under  its 
folds  is  certain  victory. 
I  The  dragon  is  cast  out:  the  war  in  that  respect  is  over; 
(  heaven  is  free.  But  he  is  not  yet  cast  into  hell,  nor 
,  even  into  the  bottomless  pit,  but  to  the  earth;  and 
thus  the  earth's  great  trouble-time  ensues.  Satan  comes 
down  with  great  wrath,  because  he  knows  that  he  has  but 
a  short  time.  How  terrible  a  thing  is  sin!  How  amazing 
that  a  full,  clear  view  of  what  is  before  him  should  only 


THE    TRINITY    OF    EVIL,    ETC.  1 37 

inspire  this  fallen  being  with  fresh  energy  of  hate  to  that 
which  must  all  recoil  upon  himself,  and  add  intensity  of 
torment  to  eternal  doom!  Even  so  is  every  act  of  sin  as 
it  were  a  suicide;  and  he  who  committeth  it  is  the  slave 
of  sin  (Jno.  viii.  34). 

A  great  voice  in  heaven  celebrates  the  triumph  there.      Y_j^ 
"  Now  is  come  the  salvation  and  power  and  kingdom  of  V  ^^r^ 
our  God,  and  the  authority  of  His  Christ;  for  the  accusei;^         ■^* 
of  our  brethren  is  cast  down,  who  accused  them  before  (Jl^  ^t 
our  God  day  and  night."     The  salvation  spoken  of  here     |    i«^ 
is   not,  apparently,  as  some  think,  the  salvation  of  the  )Tf 


V 


body;  for  it  is  explained  directly  as  deliverance  of  some^ 
who  are  called  "our  brethren"  from   the   accusation  of      ^  ♦Jt^ 
Satan.     The  voice  seems,  therefore,  that  of  the  glorified      ^^     ^'^ 
saints,  and  the  "  brethren "  of    whom    they    speak,  the  »   »,» 
saints  on  earth,  who  had  indeed  by  individual  faithfulness  *^ 
dverconie^irrthe  past  those  accusations  which  are  now  ^^  ^ 
forever  ended.     Satan's  antipriestly   power,   as   another 
has  remarked,  is  at  an  end. 

Yet  he  may,  and  does,  after  this,  exercise  imperial 
power,  and  stir  up  the  most  violent  persecution  of  the 
people  of  God,  and  these  still  may  be  called  not  to  love 
their  lives  unto  death.  It  is  not  here,  then,  that  his 
power  ceases:  they  have  conflict  still,  but  not  with 
"principalities  and  powers  in  heavenly  places."  (Eph.  vi. 
12.)  Heaven  is  quiet  and  calm  above  them,  if  around  is 
still  the  noise  of  the  battle.  And  how  great  is  the  mercy 
that  thus  provides  for  them  during  those  three  and  a  half 
years  of  unequaled  tribulation  still  to  come!  Is  not  this  1 
worthy  of  God  that,  just  at  the  time  when  Satan's  rage  is 
greatest,  and  arming  the  world-power  against  His  people, 
the  sanctuary  of  the  soul  is  never  invaded  by  him:  the 
fiery  darts  of  the  wicked  one  cease;  he  is  no  more  "prince 
of  the  power  of  the  air,"  but  restricted  to  the  earth  simply,  ; 
to  work  through  the  passions  of  men,  which  he  can  in- 1 
flame  against  them.  * 

Accordingly  to  this  he  gives  himself  with  double  energy: 


138  "things  that  shall  be." 

"And  when  the  dragon  saw  that  he  was  cast  unto  the 
earth,  he  persecuted  the  woman  who  brought  forth  the 
man-child."  But  God  interferes:  "And  there  were  given 
unto  the  woman  the  two  wings  of  the  great  eagle,  that 
she  might  fly  into  the  wilderness,  into  her  place,  where 
she  is  nourished  for  a  time  and  times  and  half  a  time, 
from  the  face  of  the  serpent." 

The  words  recall  plainly  the  deliverance  from  Egypt. 
Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt  is  called  thus  by  the  prophet, 
"the  great  dragon  that  lieth  in  the  midst  of  his  rivers," 
(Ezek.  xxix.  3,)  and  is  himself  the  concentration  of  the 
malice  of  the  world-power;  while  God  says  to  delivered 
Israel  at  Sinai,  "Ye  have  seen  what  I  did  unto  the  Egyp- 
tians; and  how  I  bare  you  on  eagle's  wings,  and  brought 
you  to  Myself."  (Ex.  xix.  4.)  The  reference  here  seems 
definitely  to  this:  it  is  not,  as  in  the  common  version, 
"a"  great  eagle,  indefinitely,  but  "///^"  great  eagle, — the 
griffon,  perhaps,  than  which  no  bird  has  a  more  powerful 
or  masterly  flight.  Clearly  it  is  divine  power  that  is  re- 
ferred to  in  these  words:  in  the  deliverance  out  of  Egypt 
there  was  jealous  exclusion  of  all  power  beside.  Israel 
was  to  be  taught  the  grace  and  might  of  a  Saviour-God. 
And  so  in  the  end  again  it  will  be  when  He  repeats, 
only  in  a  grander  way,  the  marvels  of  that  old  deliver- 
ance, and  "allures  "  the  heart  of  the  nation  to  Himself. 

Miracle  may  well  come  in  again  for  them,  and  it  may 
be  that  the  wilderness  literally  will  once  more  provide 
shelter  and  nourishment  for  them.  Figure  and  fact  may 
here  agree  together,  and  so  it  often  is;  the  terms  even 
seem  to  imply  the  literal  desert  here,  just  because  it  is 
evidently  a  place*  of  shelter  that  divine  love  provides,  and 
sustenance  there;  and  what  more  natural  than  that  the 
desert,  by  which  the  land  of  Israel  is  half  encompassed, 
should  be  used  for  this  ? 

That  which  follows  seems  to  be  imagery  borrowed  from 
the  desert  also.  Like  the  streams  of  Antilibanus,  many 
a  river  is  swallowed  up  in  the  sand,  as  that  is  which  is 


THE    TRINITY    OF    EVIL,   ETC.  I39 

now  poured  out  of  the  dragon's  mouth.  If  it  be  an  armyvv 
that  is  pictured,  the  wilderness  is  no  less  capable  of  the 
absorption  of  a  nation's  strength.  The  river  being  cast 
out  of  his  mouth  would  seem  to  show  that  it  is  by  the 
power  of  his  persuasion  that  men  are  incited  to  this  over- 
flow of  enmity  against  the  people  of  God,  which  is  so 
completely  foiled  that  the  baffled  adversary  gives  up 
further  effort  in  this  direction,  and  the  objects  of  his 
pursuit  are  after  this  left  absolutely  unassailed. 

But  those  who  so  escape,  while  thus  securing  the 
existence  of  the  nation — and  therefore  identified  with  the 
woman  herself, — are  not  the  whole  number  of  those  who 
in  it  are  converted  to  God;  and  "the  remnant  of  her  seed  " 
become  now  the  object  of  his  furious  assault.  These  are 
indeed  those,  as  it  would  seem,  with  whom  is  the  testi- 
mony of  Jesus,  which  is,  we  are  assured,  "  the  spirit  of 
prophecy."  (Chap.  xix.  lo.)  These  are  they,  perhaps,  who 
amid  these  times  of  trouble  go  forth,  as  from  age  to  age 
the  energy  of  the  Spirit  has  incited  men  to  go  forth,  tak- 
ing their  lives  in  their  hand  that  they  might  bring  the 
word  of  God  before  His  creatures,  and  who  have  been 
ever  of  necessity  the  special  objects  of  satanic  enmity. 
They  are  the  new  generation  of  those  who  as  men  of  God 
have  stood  forth  prominently  for  God  upon  the  earth,  and 
have  taken  from  men  on  the  one  hand  their  reward  in 
persecution,  but  from  God  on  the  other  the  sweet  counter- 
balancing acknowledgment.  It  is  of  such  the  Lord  says, 
"Blessed  are  ye  when  they  shall  reproach  and  persecute 
you,  and  say  all  manner  of  evil  against  you  falsely  for  My 
sake.  Rejoice,  and  be  exceeding  glad;  for  great  is  your 
reward  in  heaven,  for  so  persecuted  they  the  prophets 
that  were  before  you."  (Matt.  v.  ii,  12.) 

Noticeable  it  is  that  it  is  in  heaven  still  this  new  race 
of  prophets  find  their  reward.  The  two  witnesses  whom 
we  have  seen  ascend  to  heaven  in  a  cloud  belong  to  this 
number;  and  those  who  in  Daniel  as  turning  many  to 
righteousness,  shine  as  the  stars  for  ever  and  ever  (Dan. 


140  ''things  that  shall  be. 

xii.  3).  Earth  casts  them  out,  and  they  are  seen  in  our 
Lord's  prophecy  as  brethren  of  the  Khig,  hungering  and 
athirst,  in  strangership,  naked  and  sick  and  in  prison 
(Matt.  XXV.  35,  36,  40).  Heaven  receives  them  in  de- 
light as  those  of  whom  the  earth  was  not  worthy, — a 
gleaning  after  harvest,  as  it  were,  of  wheat  for  God's 
granary, — a  last  sheaf  of  the  resurrection  of  the  saints, 
which  the  twentieth  chapter  of  the  book  before  us  sees 
added  to  the  sitters  upon  the  thrones,  among  the  ''blessed 
and  holy"  now  complete.  How  well  are  they  cared  for 
who  might  seem  left  unsheltered  to  Satan's  enmity!  They 
have  lost  the  earthly  blessing,  they  have  gained  the 
heavenly;  their  light  has  been  quenched  for  a  time,  to 
shine  in  a  higher  sphere  forever.     Blessed  be  God! 

We  may  follow,  then,  the  new  development  of  satanic 
enmity  without  fear.  We  shall  gain  from  considering  it. 
Their  enemy  and  ours  is  one  and  the  same:  it  is  Satan, 
the  old  serpent,  the  ancient  homicide,  and  we  must  not 
be  "ignorant  of  his  devices."  His  destiny  is  to  be  over- 
come, and  that  by  the  feeblest  saint  against  whom  he 
seems  for  the  present  to  succeed  so  easily. 

The  Resurrection  of  the  Fourth  Empire. 

(Chap.  xiii.  1-10.) 

Satan  being  now  in  full  activity  of  opposition  to  the 
woman  and  her  seed,  we  are  carried  on  to  see  his 
further  efforts  to  destroy  them.  Working,  as  from  the 
beginning,  through  instruments  in  which  he  conceals 
himself,  we  find  ourselves  now  face  to  face  with  his  great 
instrument  in  the  last  days;  in  which  too  we  recognize  one 
long  before  spoken  of  in  the  prophets,  especially  by  himto 
whom  in  the  book  of  Revelation  we  have  such  frequent 
reference — the  apocalyptic  prophet  of  the  Old  Testament. 
It  is  indeed  the  fourth  beast  of  Daniel  without  dispute 
to  which  the  word  of  inspiration  now  directs  our  atten- 
tion. "I  saw,"  says  the  apostle,  "a  beast  coming  up  out 
of  the  sea,  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  and  on  his 


THE    TRINITY    OF    EVIL,   ETC.  I4I 

horns    ten    crowns,  and    on    his    heads    the    names   of 
blasphemy." 

The  four  beasts  of  Daniel's  vision  answer,  as  every 
one  knows,  to  the  one  human  figure  seen  by  the  king  of 
Babylon.  In  his  eyes  there  is  in  it  at  least  the  likeness 
of  man,  although  there  is  no  breath,  no  life.  To  the 
prophet  afterward  the  world-empires  appear  on  the  other 
hand  full  of  life,  but  it  is  bestial.  One  of  the  chapters 
between  supplies  the  link  between  the  two:  for  Nebu- 
chadnezzar is  himself  driven  out  among  the  beasts,  as  we 
see  in  the  fourth  chapter,  for  a  disciplinary  punishment 
until  he  knows  "that  the  Most  High  ruleth  in  the  kingdom 
of  men."  In  a  pride  which  has  forgotten  God,  he  has 
become  but  a  beast  which  knows  none.  He  is  therefore; 
driven  out  among  the  beasts  until  seven  times  pass  over_ 
him.  The  prophet  sees  thus  the  powers  of  the  world  to 
be  but  beasts — "w/7^ beasts"  indeed,  as  here.  ^ 

As  the  fourth  beast,  moreover,  the  successor  and  heir 
to  those  that  have  been  before  it,  the  last  empire  not  only 
shows  still  this  bestial  nature.  It  combines  in  itself  the 
various  characters  of  the  first  three.  It  is  in  general  form 
like  the  leopard  or  Greek  empire,  agile  and  swift  in  its 
attack  as  the  leopard  is  known  to  be.  But  it  has  the  feet 
of  the  bear,  the  Persian  tenacity  of  grasp,  and  the  mouth  of 
the  lion,  the  Babylonian  ferocity.  Beast  it  is  clearly,  yet 
not  in  simple  ignorance  of  God  as  the  beast  is:  its  seven 
heads  are  seen  to  have  on  each  of  them  a  name  of 
blasphemy. 

In  its  ten  horns  it  differs  from  all  before  it;  and  .these, 
we  are  explicitly  told,  (xvii.  17,)  are  "ten  kings"  which 
"give  their  power  unto  the  beast."     In  the  vision  now  we  V 

find  these  kings  actually  crowned.  They  are  in  existence f\V^ 
when  the  beast  rises  from  the  sea,  that  is,  from  the  com-!  ^JjJi 
mencement  of  the  empire  in  some  sense — not  of  old]  "^  ^ 
Rome,  that  is  certain,  for  old  Rome  never  commenced  in)^*-  ^ 
such  a  manner.  It  must  then  be  Rome  as  new-risen  J  y^ 
among  the  nations  in  the  latter  days.  ^ 


142  "things  that  shall  be.' 

The  later  chapter,  to  wliich  we  have  just  now  referred, 
speaks  plainly  of  a  time  when  the  t)east  that  was  "is  not;" 
^   and  for  centuries,  we  are  well  aware,  the  empire  has  not 
.  ,^       existed.     But  the  same  prophecy  assures  us  that  it  is  to 
^  *"  be  again;  and  in  the  vision  before  us  we  find  it  accord- 

^         \  ingly  risen  up,  as  of  old  time,  from  the  sea, — that  is  to  say, 
'**        ^  the  restless  strife  of. the  nations.     As  we  have  seen,  how- 
ever, that  is  not  the  only  way  in  which  it  is  seen  to  rise 
again:    for   in  the  history  of  the  witnesses  it  has  been 
spoken  of  as  "ascending  up  out  of  the  bottomless  pit," 
and  this  is   repeated    in   the  seventeenth  chapter,  "the 
beast  .  .  .  shall  ascend  out  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  go 
>  into  perdition."     Are  these  two  ascents,  then?  or  only 
%        \  one,  looked  at  from  two  sides  ? 

Again  of  its  heads,  one  is  said  in  the  present  chapter  to 

be    "wounded    to    death,"  but  "its   deadly   wound  was 

healed;"  and  afterward  the  beast  is  spoken  of  as  having 

^  had  the  "wound   by  a  sword"  and   living   {v.  14).     Are 

these  still  various  ways  of  expressing  the  same  thing,  or 

V  not?  and  is  there  any  way  of  deciding  this? 

Certainly,  the  long  collapse  of  centuries  during  which 
the  beast  "  was  not"  could  hardly  seem  to  be  described 
as  its  having  a  wound  and  living,  or  as  a  deadly  wound 
which  could  be  healed.  Let  us  look  more  closely  at  the 
prophecy,  or  rather  at  the  different  prophecies  about  this, 
and  see  what  may  be  gathered. 

In  Daniel  we  have  no  mention  of  the  time  of  non- 
existence, or  of  a  plurality  of  heads  upon  the  beast,  but 
the  ten  horns  show  us  that  the  empire  is  there  before  us 
also  as  it  exists  in  the  latter  days;  as  it  is  plain  also  that 
it  is  in  this  form  that  the  judgment  there  described  comes 
upon  it.  But  the  prophet  considering  these  ten  horns, 
sees,  rising  up  after  them,  another  little  horn  in  which 
are  developed  those  blasphemous  characters  which  bring 
down  its  final  judgment  upon  the  beast.  It  speaks  great 
words  against  the  Most  High,  and  wears  out  the  saints  of 
the  Most  High,  and  thinks  to  change  times  and  laws;  and 


THE    TRINITY    OF    EVIL,    ETC.  1 43 

these  are  given  into  its  hands  until  a  time  and  times  and 
the  dividing  of  a  time, — that  is,  for  the  last  half  week  of  j  X*\y 
Daniel's  seventy,  just  before  the   Lord   comes  and   the  \       ' 
judgment  falls.  V 

Now  this  last  horn  rises  up  after  the  first  ten   are  in., 
existence,  and  therefore  the  empire  in  its  latter-day  form;;  .  ^t 
and  if  this  little  horn  be  that  whose  "dominion"  brings*  iv^ 
judgment  upon  the  beast,  then  it  would  seem  that  the  j  JLfA 
eleventh  horn  and  the  eighth  head  of  Revelation  must  bej 

the  same.  O^J^^^^ 

The  seven  heads  are  not  in  Daniel,  nor  is  the  eleventh 
horn  in  Revelation.  But  we  may  learn  in  both  of  thesei 
details  by  means  of  which  we  can  compare  them.  Thus, 
as  to  the  heads,  five  had  fallen  when  the  angel  spoke  to 
John  (xvii.  lo):  one  existed,  the  imperial;  another  was  to 
come  and  last  but  a  short  time,  and  then  would  be  the 
eighth,  or  ^/le  beast  in  its  final  form,  identified  with  its 
head  here,  as  morally  at  least  with  the  little  horn  in 
Daniel. 

We  have  anticipated  somewhat,  and  seem  obliged  for 
our  purpose  to  anticipate,  what  is  given  us  only  in  the 
seventeenth  chapter,  before  the  history  of  these  latter 
days  becomes  in  measure  clear  to.  us.  Let  us  seek  first  to 
get  hold  of  the  point  of  time  which  the  interpretation 
contemplates  as  present.  When  the  angel  says  to  John, 
"  The  woman  which  thou  sawest  is  that  great  city  which/  \  y* 
reigneth  over  the  kings  of  the  earth,"  we  know  that  at  the]  C/^ 
time  of  the  revelation  there  was  one  city,  and  but  one,  to 
which  his  words  could  apply.  It  was  Rome  that  ruled  -  (n 
over  the  kings  of  the  earth,  even  as  Rome  fills  out  his 
description  also  in  another  respect,  being  notoriously  the 
seven-hilled  city.  That  Rome  is  in  fact  the  city  spoken 
of,  is,  spite  of  the  effort  of  a  few  to  find  another  applica- 
tion, the  verdict  of  the  mass  of  commentators  of  all  times, 
and  this  interpretation  of  the  woman  seems  given  by  the 
angel  as  what  would  need  no  further  explanation.  ' 

The  ten   horns,   on  the  other  hand,   he    states  to  be 


^*^ 


144  "things  that  shall  be.'* 

future:  "the  ten  horns  are  ten  kings  which  have  received 
no  kingdom  as  yet."  Here  we  see  that  the  point  of  view 
is  still  that  of  the  apostle  himself.  And  when  it  is  said 
of  the  heads,  "five  are  fallen,  and  one  is,"  Livy,  as  is 
well-known,  has  given  the  five  different  forms  of  govern- 
ment under  which  Rome  had  been  before  that  sixth,  the 
imperial,  which  existed  in  the  apostle's  .day.  The  point 
of  view  seems  here  quite  plain. 

On  the  other  hand,  "the  beast  that  was  and  is  nof 
may  seem  to  be  opposed  to  this.  But  if  that  could  not 
be  said  in  the  apostle's  day,  that  the  beast  was  not,  it 
could  be  as  little  said  of  the  day  of  the  fulfillment  of  the 
vision.  Thus,  "was,  is  not,  and  shall  be,"  merely  pic- 
torially  presents  the  history  of  the  beast,  and  does  not  at 
all  give  us  the  stand-point,  as  the  other  expressions  do. 

It  is  a  curious  coincidence,  that  if  in  Daniel's  vision  of 
the  four  beasts  we  connect  the  four  heads  of  the  leopard 
with  the  other  three  of  the  remaining  ones,  we  have  just 
seven,  and  it  has  been  argued  that  these  are,  in  fact,  the 
seven  heads  upon  the  beast  in  Revelation ;  but  then  six 
should  have  fallen,  and  not  five,  when  the  angel  spoke. 
The  sixth  also  would  be  the  last  Grecian  head,  and  the 
Roman  would  be  future.  That  the  heads  are  successive 
is  quite  plain,  and  there  seems  no  room  for  any  other 
application  than  that  of  the  sixth  head  to  the  emperor  of 
Rome. 

The  seventh  would  follow  at  an  uncertain  period  in  the 
future,  and  the  application  here  has  been  various — to  the 
exarchate  of  Ravenna,  to  Charlemagne,  to  Napoleon.  It 
is  not  needful  to  enter  into  any  elaborate  disproof  of 
these,  as  that  putting  together  of  prophecy,  of  the  neces- 
sity of  which  the  apostle  warns  us,  will  show  sufficiently 
how  inadmissible  they  are. 

"  The  beast  that  was  and  is  not,  even  he  is  the  eighth, 
and  is  of  the  seven,"  says  the  angel  :  '•''one  of  the 
seven,"  Bleek  with  others  takes  it  to  mean  ;  ^'sprung 
from  the  seven,"  says  Alford.     But  the  last,  if  we  are  to 


THE    TRINITY    OF    EVIL,    ETC.  I45 

interpret  the  sixth  as  we  have  done,  can  scarcely  be 
maintained.  If  we  are  to  say,  "one  of  the  seven,"  then 
we  may  tentatively  suppose  it  to  be  the  seventh  revived; 
and  put  in  this  way,  other  passages  would  seem  to  throw 
light  upon  it. 

The  seventh  head  was  to  continue  but  a  little  while  ; 
and  one  of  the  heads  — it  is  not  stated  which — was  to  be 
wounded  to  death  and  live,  as  we  have  seen.  It  is  on 
this  account  that  the  world  wonders  after  the  beast,  and 
this  is  clearly  at  the  end  :  so  that  it  is  either  the  eighth 
head  itself  that  is  wounded  and  revives,  or  else  it  is  the 
eighth  head  which  is  the  seventh  revived,  as  we  have  just 
supposed.  This  thought  unites  then  and  makes  plain  the 
different  passages. 

The  beast  (under  this  eighth  head)  "practices"  forty ^ 
and  two  months,  the  last  half  week  of  Daniel's  seventy. 
Yet  the  "prince   that   shall   come"  makes  his  covenant 
WMth   the   Jews   for   the  whole  last  week,  in  the  midst  of 
which   he»breaks  it  (Dan.  ix.  27).     Does  not   this   show^ 
that  not  only  are  the  seventh  and  eighth  heads  as  headsj 
identical,  but  individually  also  ?  and  does  it  not  confirm: 
very  strongly  as  truth  what  at  first  appeared  only  to  be{ 
supposition  ? 

In  this  manner  Daniel's  prophecy  of  the  little  horn 
would  seem  to  describe  his  second  rise  to  power,  after 
having  fallen  from  being  the  seventh  head  of  the  beast 
to  a  rank  below  that  of  the  ten  kings.  From  this,  partly 
by  force,  partly  by  concession,  gained  no  doubt  by  the  aid 
of  him  who  discerns  in  the  fallen  ruler  a  fitting  instru- 
ment for  his  devilish  ends,  he  rises  to  his  former  pre- 
eminence over  them  all,  filled  with  the  animosity  against 
God  with  which  the  dragon,  "prince  of  this  world,"  has 
inspired  him,  and  the  world  wondering  and  ready  to 
worship. 

Thus  the  picture  seems  complete  and  the  outline  har- 
monious in  all  its  details.  It  agrees  well  with  what  has 
been  before  suggested — the  rise  of  the  seventh  head  under 


146  "things  that  shall  be." 

the  first  seal,  its  collapse  under  the  fourth  trumpet,  its 
revival  through  satanic  influence  under  the  sixth.  Its 
judgment  takes  place  under  the  seventh,  but  the  details 
of  this  are  unfolded  in  the  latter  part  of  Revelation.  We 
see  that  the  conspiracy  of  the  second  psalm,  of  the  kings 
and  rulers  "  against  the  Lord  and  His  Anointed,"  is  by 
no  means  over.  Nay,  the  Gentile  power  that  wrote  defi- 
antly His  title  on  His  cross  is  risen  up  again,  and  with 
even  more  than  its  old  defiance.  The  long-suffering  of 
the  Lord  has  not  been  to  it  salvation.  The  exhortation, 
''  Kiss  the  Son,  lest  He  be  angry,  and  ye  perish  from  the 
way,"  has  not  been  heeded.  Rome  still  vindicates  its 
title  to  its  position  as  the  head  of  a  hostile  world.  "  I 
gave  her  space  to  repent,  and  she  will  not  repent,"  is  as 
true  of  her  in  her  civil  as  in  her  ecclesiastical  character. 

The  revival  of  the  last  empire  is  Satan's  mockery  of 
resurrection  ;  yet  God  is  over  it  and  in  it,  commanding 
her  from  her  tomb  for  judgment.  And  with  her,  other 
buried  nations  are  to  revive  and  come  forth  to  the  light. 
Greece  has  thus  revived.  Italy  has  revived.  Israel,  as 
we  well  know,  is  reviving,  and  for  her  also  there  is  not 
unmingled  blessing,  but  solemn  and  terrible  judgment 
that  will  leave  but  a  remnant  for  the  final  promise  surely 
to  be  fulfilled.  Israel  were  foremost  in  the  rejection  of 
their  Lord,  when  first  He  came  to  His  own,  and  His  own 
received  Him  not.  It  was  they  who  used  Gentile  hands 
to  execute  the  sentence  which  they  lacked  power  to  carry 
out.  And  it  is  strange  indeed  to  find,  in  these  awful  last 
days  of  blasphemy  and  rebellion,  the  Jew  still  inspiring 
the  Gentile  in  the  last  outburst  of  infidel  pride  and  law- 
lessness :  the  second  beast  in  the  chapter  before  us  is  at 
once  Jewish,  and  by  its  lamblike  appearance  and  its 
dragon-voice,  antichristian. 

And  this  is  that  to  which,  unwarned  by  the  sure  word 
of  prophecy,  men  are  hurrying  on.  The  swiftness  of  the 
current  that  is  carrying  them,  owned  as  it  is  by  all,  is  for 
them  "  progress,"  while   it  is  but  the  power  felt  of  the 


n^ 


THE    TRINITY    OF    EVIL,    ETC.  147 

nearing  cataract.  "When  they  shall  say,  Peace  and 
safety,  then  sudden  destruction  cometh  upon  them,  as 
travail  upon  a  woman  with  child,  and  they  shall  not 
escape  !  "  So  said  the  lips  that  uttered  that  lament  over 
Jerusalem,  which  with  added  force  may  speak  to  us  to- 
day, "  How  often  would  I  have  gathered  your  children 
together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under  her 
wing;  and  ye  would  not l'' 

Antichrist.  (Chap.  xiii.  11-18.) 

Along  with  the  resurrection  of  the  imperial  power,  we 
are  now  shown  in  the  vision  the  uprise  of  another 
''wild  beast,"  which  we  have  nowhere  else  brought  ^^ 
before  us  in  this  character.  We  shall  have,  therefore, 
more  attentively  to  consider  the  description  given,  and 
what  means  we  have  for  identification  of  the  power  or 
person  who  is  described,  so  that  the  prophecy  may  be 
brought  out  of  the  isolation  which  would  make  it  incapable 
of  interpretation,  and  may  speak  at  least  with  its  full 
weight  of  moral  instruction  for  our  souls. 

The  one  seen  is  "another  wild  beast,"  and  this  charac-\ 
ter  is  clear  enough.     The  empires  of  Daniel  are  "beasts,"  , 
in  that  they  know  not  God;  the  thought  of  the  wild  beast  • 
adds  to  this  that  savage  cruelty,  which  will,  of  course, 
display  itself  against  those  who  are  God's.     Inasmuch  as  ^ 
the  other  beasts  are  powers — empires, — it  would  seem  as 
if  here  too  were  a  power,  royal  or  imperial;  but  this  would 
not  be  certain,  unless  confirmed  by  other  intimations. 

It  is  seen  rising  up  out  of  the  eai'th,  and  not  out  of  the 
sea.  The  latter  symbol  evidently  applies  to  the  nations, 
— the  Gentiles;  does  not  then  this  power  rise  out  of  the 
nations?  It  has  been  thought  to  mean  a  settled  state  of 
things  into  which  the  nations  now  had  got, — a  state  of 
things  unlikely  at  the  period  we  are  considering,  and 
which  would  seem  rather  imageable  as  quiet  water,  than 
as  "  earth."  Looking  back  to  that  first  chapter  of  Genesis, 
in  which  we  should  surely  get  the  essential  meaning  of 


148  "things  that  shall  be." 

these  figures,  and  where  tyi)ically  the  six  clays  reveal  the 
>^  story  of  the  dispensations  on  to  tlie  final   Sabbath-rest  of 
\6  /  God,  we  shall  find  the  earth,  in  its  separation   from  the 
^^'       waters  on  the  third  day,  speaking  of  Israel  as  separated 
J     I  from  the  Gentiles.*     If  this  be  true   interpretation,  as  I 
f^      ^  doubt  not,  it  is  an  Israelitish  power  with  which  we  are 
\  here  brought  face  to  face.     Political  events  to-day  look 

to  a  Jewish  resurrection,  as  something  in  the  near  future 
scarcely    problematical.     Daniel's   words    (chap.   xii.    i) 
which  apply  to  this,  make  it  sure  that  this  will  not  be  all 
of  God,  but  that  "some"  will  rise  "to  shame  and  ever- 
lasting contempt."     Prophecies  that  we  have  already  to 
some  extent  considered,  intimate  that  Jewish  unbelief  is 
j  yet  to  unite  with  an   apostasy  of  Christendom,  and  cul- 
1  minate   in   a  "  man   of  sin,   the   son   of  perdition,   who 
I  opposeth  and   exalteth  himself  above  all  that  is  called 
\God,  or   that   is   worshipped,   so  that  he  sitteth  in  the 
temple  of  God,  showing  himself  that  he  is  God."  (2  Thess. 
ii.  3,  4.)     Thus  we  may  be  prepared  to  find  here  a  blas- 
phemous  persecuting    power    rising  up  in  the   restored 
nation.     And  this  may  help  us  to  the  awful  significance 
of  what  follows  in  Revelation — "and  he  had   two   horns 
like  a  lamb,  and  spake  as  a  dragon." 

"Two  horns  like  a  lamb T  the  "Lamb"  is  a  title  so 
significant  in  the  present  book, — nay,  of  such  controlling 
significance,  that  any  reference  to  it  must  be  considered 
of  corresponding  importance.  The  two  horns,  then,  are 
of  course  an  intimation  that  the  power  exercised  by  the 
one  before  us — for  the  "horn  "  is  a  well-known  symbol  of 
power — is  twofold,  in  some  sense  like  that  of  a  lamb: 
how  then  ?  What  is  the  twofold  character  of  the  power 
here?  It  seems  as  if  there  could  be  but  one  meaning: 
Christ's  power  is  twofold,  as  manifested  in  the  day  that 
comes;  He  is  a  priest  upon  the  throne," — a  royal  Priest, 
with  spiritual  authority  as  well  as  kingly.     This  the  blas- 

*  See  '•  Genesis  in  tiie  light  of  the  New  Testament,"  or  "  Tlie  Numerical 
Bible." 


THE    TRINITY    OF    EVIL,    ETC.  I49 

phemous  usurper  before  us  will  assume;  and  this  mani-|  ^  * 
fests  him,  without  possibility  of  mistake  that  one  can  see,!  ^jl 
as  Antichrist.  (KN^ 

He  is  betrayed  by  His  voice:  his  speech  is  that  of  a 
dragon;  he  is  inspired,  in  fact,  by  Satan.  There  is  no 
sweet  and  gracious  message  upon  His  lips.  It  is  not  He 
who  has  been  man's  burden-bearer,  and  the  sinner's 
Saviour.  No  gentleness  and  meekness,  but  the  tyranny 
of  the  destroyer;  no  heavenly  wisdom,  but  Satan's  craft, 
utters  itself  through  him.  Arrogant  as  he  is,  he  is  the 
miserable  tool  of  man's  worst  enemy,  and  his  own. 

"  And  he  exerciseth  all  the  power  of  the  first  beast  in 
his  presence."  He  is  the  representative  of  the  newly 
constituted  empire  of  the  west,  not  locally  merely,  but 
throughout  it;  and  thus,  as  standing  for  another,  he  is 
still  the  awful  mockery  of  Him  who  is  on  the  throne  of  the  \ 
world,  the  Father's  representative.  This  is  developed  by  ^ 
the  next  words  to  its  full  extent:  *'  and  he  causeth  the 
earth  and  them  that  dwell  therein  to  worship  the  first 
beast,  whose  deadly  wound  was  healed;  and  he  doeth 
great  signs,  so  that  he  maketh  fire  to  descend  from  heaven 
upon  the  earth  before  men."  Here  the  very  miracle 
which  Elijah  once  had  wrought  to  turn  back  the  hearts  of 
apostate  Israel  to  the  true  God  he  is  permitted  to  do  to 
turn  men  to  a  false  one.  Men  are  given  up  to  be  de- 
ceived: God  is  sending  them  (as  it  is  declared  in  Thessa- 
lonians)  "strong  delusion,  that  they  may  believe  the  lie 
.  .  .  because  they  received  not  the  love  of  the  truth." 
The  Word  of  God,  announcing  this  beforehand,  would, 
of  course,  be  the  perfect  safeguard  of  those  that  trusted 
it;  and  this  very  miracle  as  it  would  appear,  would  be  a 
sign  to  the  elect,  not  of  Christ,  but  of  Antichrist.  But  to 
the  men  that  dwell  upon  the  earth,  a  moral  characteristic 
distinguishing  those  who  as  apostate  from  Christianity 
have  given  up  all  their  hope  of  heaven,  and  who  are  all 
through  this  part  specially  pointed  out,  heaven  itself 
would  seem  to  seal  the  pretensions  of  the  deceiver.  **And 


150  "things  that  shall  be." 

he  deceiveth  the  dwellers  upon  the  earth,  by  means  of  the 
signs  which  it  was  given  him  to  do  in  the  presence  of  the 
beast,  saying  to  the  dwellers  upon  earth,  that  they  should 
make  an  image  to  the  beast  who  had  the  wound  by  the 
sword  and  lived.  And  it  was  given  him  to  give  breath 
to  the  image  of  the  beast,  that  the  image  of  the  beast  should 
both  speak,  and  cause  those  that  would  not  worship  the 
image  of  the  beast  to  be  slain." 

Is  an  actual  image  of  the  beast  intended  here  ?  or  is  it 
some  representative  of  imperial  authority,  such  as  the 
historical  interpreters  in  general  (though  in  various  ways) 
have  made  it  out  to  be?  Against  the  latter  thought  there 
is  in  itself  no  objection,  but  rather  the  reverse,  the  book 
being  so  symbolical  throughout.  But  it  is  the  second 
beast  itself  that  is  the  representative  of  the  authority  of 
the  first  beast;  and  on  the  other  hand  an  apparent 
creation-miracle  would  not  be  unlikely  to  be  attempted 
by  one  claiming  to  be  divine.  Notice,  that  it  is  not'Mife" 
he  gives  to  it,  as  in  the  common  version,  nor  "spirit," 
though  the  word  may  be  translated  so,  but  "breath," 
which  as  the  alternative  rendering  is  plainly  the  right 
one,  supposing  it  be  a  literal  image. 

Our  Lord's  words  as  to  the  "  abomination  of  deso- 
lation standing  in  the  holy  place"  (Matt.  xxiv.  15),  are  in 
evident  connection  with  this,  and  confirm  this  thought. 
"  Abomination "  is  the  regular  word  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, to  express  what  idolatry  is  in  the  sight  of  God; 
but  here  it  is  established  in  what  was  but  awhile  before 
professedly  His  temple.  For  until  the  middle  of  Daniel's 
seventieth  week,  from  the  beginning  of  it,  sacrifice  and 
oblation  have  been  going  on  among  the  returned  people 
in  Jerusalem.  This  was  under  the  shelter  of  the  cove- 
nant with  that  Gentile  "  prince "  of  whom  the  prophet 
speaks  as  the  "  coming  one."  At  first,  he  is  clearly  there- 
fore not  inspired  with  the  malignity  toward  God  which 
he  afterwards  displays.  Now,  energized  by  Satan,  from 
whoni   he  holds  his  throne,  and    incited    by  the    dread 


THE    TRINITY    OF    EVIL,    ETC.  I51 

power  that  holds  Jerusalem  itself,  he  makes  his  attack 
upon  Jehovah's  throne  itself,  and  as  represented  by  this 
image,  takes  his  place  in  defiance  in  the  sanctuary  of  the 
Most  High. 

The  connection  of  this  prophecy  with  those  in  Daniel 
and  in  Matthew  makes  plain  the  reason  of  the  image  being 
made  and  worshiped.  The  head  of  the  Roman  earth,  and 
of  this  last  and  worst  idolatry,  is  not  in  Judaea,  but  at 
Rome;  and  he  who  is  in  Judaea,  of  whatever  marvelous 
power  possessed,  is  yet  only  the  delegate  of  the  Roman 
head.  Thus  the  image  is  made  to  represent  this  supreme 
power,  and  the  worship  paid  to  it  is  in  perfect  accordance 
with  this.  Here  in  Judaea,  where  alone  now  there  is  any  j 
open  pretension  to  worship  the  true  God, — here  there  is  ' 
call    for.  the   most   decisive    measures.      And    thus    thej  > 

death-penalty  proclaimed  for  those  who  do  not  worship.!  \  a\ 
Jerusalem  is  the  centre  of  the  battle-field,  and  here  the  V'^ 
opposition  must  be  smitten  down.     "And  he  causeth  ^11,  *;^ 

both  small  and  great,  both  rich  and  poor,  both  free  and     ^   ^^"^ 
bond,  that  they  should  give  them  a  mark  upon  their  right^^v  ^ 
hand  and  upon  their  forehead,  and  that  no  one  should  be' 
able  to  buy  or  sell  except  he  have  the  mark,  the  name  of 
the  beast,  or  the  number  of  his  name." 

Thus,  then,  is  that  "great  tribulation"  begun  of  which- 
the  Lord  spoke  in  His  prophecy  in  view  of  the  temple. 
We  can  understand  that  the  only  hope  while  this  evil  is: 
permitted  to  have  its  course  is,  that  flight  to  the  mount-' 
ains  which  He  enjoins  on  those  who  listen  to  His  voice. 
Israel  have  refused  that  sheltering  wing  under  which  He 
would  have  so  often  gathered  them,  and  they  must  be  left 
to  the  awful  "wing  of  abominations"  (Dan.  ix.  27,  ZT^^.) 
on  account  of  which  presently  the  "desolator"  from  the 
north  swoops  down  upon  the  land.  Still  His  pity  whom 
they  have  forsaken  has  decreed  a  limit,  and  "for  His 
elect's  sake,  whom  He  hath  chosen.  He  hath  shortened 
the  days." 

Why  is  it  that  breath  is  given  to  the  image  ?     Is  it  in 


152  ''THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

defiance  of  the  prophet's  challenge  of  the  "dumb  idols," 
which  "speak  not  through  their  mouth"?  Certainly  to 
make  an  image  speak  in  such  a  place  against  the  Holy- 
One  would  seem  the  climax  of  apostate  insolence.  But  it 
only  shows  that  the  end  is  indeed  near. 

What  can  be  said  of  the  "  number  of  the  beast  "  ?     The 
^    1^     words,  "  Here  is  wisdom  :   let  him  that  hath  understanding 
^v^.  *.     count  the  number  of  the  beast,"  seem  directly  to  refer  to 
^»^'ir1  those  whom  Daniel  calls  "the  wise,"  or  ''they  that  under- 
^      ;  stand  among  the  people,"  of  whom  it  is  said,  concerning 
*  the  words  of  the  vision  "closed   up  and  sealed  till  the 

j  time  of  the  end,"  that  "none  of  the  wicked  shall  under- 
i  stand,  but  the  wise  shall  understand."     The  "wise,"  or 
"they  that  understand,"  are  in  Hebrew  the  same  word — 
I  the  maskilim^  and  remind  us  again  of  certain  psalms  that 
are  called  maskil  psalms,  an  important  series  of  psalms  in 
^     V  -^Ahis  connection,  four  of  which  (lii.-lv.)  describe  the  wicked 
Vv"      one  of  this  time  and  his  following;  while  the  thirty-second 
^  speaks  of   forgiveness  and   a  hiding-place  in   God,  the 

y  forty-second  comforts  those  cast  out  from  the  sanctuary, 
*  0^  ^'^d  the  forty-fifth  celebrates  the  victory  of  Christ,  and 
^  His  reign,  and  the  submission  of  the  nations.     Again,  the 

seventy- fourth  pleads  for  the  violated  sanctuary;  the 
seventy-eighth  recites  the  many  wanderings  of  the  people 
from  their  God;  the  seventy-ninth  is  another  mourning 
over  the  desolation  of  Jerusalem;  the  eighty-eighth  be- 
wails their  condition  under  a  broken  law;  and  the  eighty- 
ninth  declares  the  "sure  mercies  of  David.  The  hundred 
and  forty-second  is  the  only  other  maskil  psalm. 

Moll  may  well  dispute  Hengstenberg's  assertion  that 
these  psalms  are  special  instruction  for  the  Church.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  mere  recital  of  them  in  this  way  may 
convince  us  how  they  furnish  the  very  key-note  to  Israel's 
condition  in  the  time  of  the  end,  and  may  well  be  used  to 
give  such  instruction  to  the  remnant  amid  the  awful  scenes 
of  the  great  tribulation.  In  Revelation,  it  will  not  be 
doubtful,  I  think,  to  those  who  will  attentively  consider  it, 


THE    TRINITY    OF    EVIL,    ETC.  1 53 

that  we  have  in  this  place  a  nota  bene  for  the  maskilim. 

Can  we  say  nothing,  then,  as  to  the  number  of  the 
beast  ?  y\^ 

As  to  the   individual  application,   certainly,   I    think,  '^    ^ 
nothing.   We  cannot  prophesy;  and  until  the  time  comes,     ^^^ 
the  vision  in  this  respect  is  "sealed  up."     The  historical^    i^ 
interpreters,  for  whom  indeed  there  should  be  no  seal,  if  v 

their  interpretation  be  the  whole  of  it,  generally  agree    ^^ 
upon  Lateinos  (the  Latin),  which  has,  however,  an  e  too  j 

much,  and  therefore  would  make  but  66 1.     Other  words    J^**^ 
have  been  suggested,  but  it  is  needless  to  speak  of  them  i^*^ 
the  day  will  declare  it. 

Yet  it  does  not  follow  but  that  there  may  be  something 
for  us  in  the  number  of  significance  spiritually.  The  6 
thrice  repeated,  while  it  speaks  of  labor  and  not  rest, — of 
abortive  effort  after  the  divine  7,  declares  the  evil  in  its 
highest  to  be  limited  and  in  God's  hand.  This  number 
is  but,  after  all,  we  are  told,  "the  number  of  a  man; "  and 
what  is  man?  He  may  multiply  responsibility  and  judg- 
ment; but  the  Sabbath  is  God's  rest,  and  sanctified  to 
Him:  without  God,  he  can  have  no  Sabbath.  This 
(i^d^d,  is  the  number  of  a  man  who  is  but  a  beast,  and 
doomed. 

With  this  picture  in  Revelation,  we  are  to  connect 
the  prophecies  of  Antichrist  which  we  have  elsewhere 
in  the  New  Testament,  and  which  we  have  briefly  con-» 
sidered.  The  apostle  John  has  shown  us  distinctly 
that  he  will  deny  the  Father  and  the  Son, — the  faith 
of  Christianity, — and  (not  that  there  is  a  Christ,  but) 
that  yesus  is  the  Christ.  He  is  thus  distinctly  identified 
with  the  unbelief  of  Israel,  as  he  is  impliedly  an  apostate 
from  the  Christian  faith,  in  which  character  the  apostle 
plainly  speaks  of  him  to  the  Thessalonians.  He  is  a 
second  Judas,  "  the  son  of  perdition,"  the  ripe  fruit  of 
that  "  falling  away  "  which  was  to  come  before  the  day  of 
the  Lord  came, — itself  the  outcome  of  that  "mystery  of 
of  iniquity  "  (or  "lawlessness")  then  at  work.     He  is  the 


154  "things  that  shall  be. 

\  "wicked,"  or  "lawless  one," — not  the  sinful  woman,  the 
\  harlot  of  Revelation,  but  the  "man  of  sin." 

Every  word  here  claims  from  us  the  closest  attention. 

The  sinful  woman  is  still  professedly  subject  to  the  man, 

antichristian,  because  in  fact  putting  herself  in  Christ's 

place,  claiming  a  power  that  is  His  alone.     Nevertheless, 

she  claims  it  in  His  name,  not  in   her  own.     The  pope 

assumes  not  to  be  Christ,  but  the  vicar  of  Christ.     The 

.  real  "/;/««  of  sin"  throws   off   this   womanly   subjection. 

\  He  is  no  vicar  of  Christ,  but  denies  that  Jesus  is  the 

s  Christ.     He  sits  in  the  temple  of  God,  showing  himself 

*  that  he  is  God.  Yet,  even  as  Christ  owns,  and  brings 
men  to  worship,  the  Father,  so  Antichrist  brings  men  to 
worship  another,  as  Revelation  has  shown  us.  There  is 
a  terrible  consistency  about  these  separate  predictions, 
which  thus  confirm  and  supplement  one  another. 

We  see  clearly  now  that  the  temple  in  which  he  sits  is 
I  not  the  Christian  church,  but  the  Jewish  temple,  and  how 
\  he  is  linked  with  the  abomination  of  desolation,  spoken 

•  of  by  Daniel  and  by  the  Lord,  an  abomination,  which 
\  brings  in  the  time  of  trouble  lasting  till  the  Son  of  Man 

comes  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  as  Saviour  of  Israel  and  of 
the  world. 

The  abomination  is  mentioned  three  times  in  Daniel, 
the  only  place  that  is  equivocal  in  its  application  to  the 
last  days  being  that  of  the  eleventh  chapter  {v.  31).  The 
connection  would  refer  it  there  to  Antiochus  Epiphanes, 
the  Grecian  oppressor  of  Israel,  who,  near  the  middle  of 
the  second  century  before  Christ,  profaned  the  temple 
with  idolatrous  sacrifices  and  impure  rites.  It  is  agreed 
by  commentators  in  general  that  the  whole  of  the  pre- 
vious part  of  the  chapter  details  in  a  wonderful  man- 
ner the  strife  of  the  Syrian  and  Egyptian  kings,  in  the 
centre  of  which  Judaea  lay.  From  this  point  on,  how- 
ever, interpreters  differ  widely.  The  attempt  to  apply 
the  rest  of  the  prophecy  to  Antiochus  has  been  shown  by 
Keil  and   others  to  be  an   utter  failure.     The   time  of 


THE    TRINITY    OF    EVIL,    ETC.  1 55 

trouble  such  as  never  was,  yet  which  ends  with  the  deUv- 
erance  of  the  people  (chap.  xii.  i)  corresponds  exactly 
with  that  which  is  spoken  of  in  the  Lord's  prophecy  on 
the  mount  of  Olives  ;  and  the  "time,  times,  and  a  half" 
named  in  connection  with  the  abomination  of  desolation, 
and  which  the  book  of  Revelation  again  and  again  brings 
before  us,  are  alone  sufficient  to  assure  us  that  we  have 
here  reached  a  period  future  to  us  to  day.  The  connec- 
tion of  all  this  becomes  a  matter  of  deepest  interest. 

That  the  whole  present  period  of  the  Christian  dis- 
pensation should  be  passed  over  in  Old-Testament  proph- 
ecy is  indeed  not  a  new  thing  to  us  ;  and  the  knowledge 
of  this  makes  the  leap  of  so  many  centuries  not  incredible. 
If,  however,  the  "time,  times,  and  a  half,"  or  twelve  hun- 
dred and  sixty  days,  from  the  setting  up  of  the  abomina- 
tion, contemplate  that  abomination  set  up  by  Antiochus, 
more  than  a  century  and  a  half  before  Christ,  then  the 
reckoning  of  this  time  is  an  utter  perplexity.  Yet,  what 
other  can  be  contemplated,  when  in  all  this  prophecy  there 
is  none  other  referred  to?  To  go  back  to  chaps,  viii.  or  ix. 
to  find  such  a  reference,  overlooking  what  is  before  our 
eyes,  would  seem  out  of  question.  What  other  solution 
of  the  matter  is  possible  ? 

Now  we  must  remember  that  the  book  is  shut  up  and  f 
sealed  until  the  "time  of  the  end," — a  term  which  has  a 
recognized  meaning  in  prophecy,  and  cannot  apply  to  the 
times  of  Antiochus,  or  to  those  of  the  Maccabees  which  ^ 
followed  them.  It  assures  us  once  more  that  the  prophecy 
reaches  on  to  the  days  of  Matt,  xxiv.;  and  that  the  abom- 
ination of  desolation  there  must  be  the  abomination  here. 
Yet  how  can  it  be  ?  Only,  surely,  in  one  way  :  if  the  ap- 
plication to  Antiochus,  while  true,  be  only  the  partial  and 
incipient  fulfillment  of  that  which  looks  on  to  the  last 
days  for  its  exhaustive  one,  then  indeed  all  is  reconciled, 
and  the  difficulty  has  disappeared.  This,  therefore, 
must  be  the  real  solution. 

What  we  have  here  is  only  one  example  of  that  double 


156  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE," 

fulfillment  which  many  interpreters  have  long  since  found 
in  Scripture  prophecies,  and  of  which  the  book  of  Revela- 
tion is  the  fullest  and  the  most  extended.  There  maybe 
a  question  here  as  to  how  far  the  double  fulfillment  in 
in  this  case  reaches  back.  With  this  we  have  not  to  do, 
for  we  are  not  primarily  occupied  with  Daniel.  It  is 
sufficient  for  our  purpose,  if  we  are  entitled  to  take  the 
abomination  of  desolation  here  (as  it  certainly  appears 
that  we. are  bound  to  take  it,)  as  in  both  places  the  same, 
and  identical  with  that  which  we  find  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment. 

Going  on  in  the  eleventh  chapter,  then,  to  the  thirty- 
sixth  verse,  we  find  the  picture  of  one  who  may  well  be 
the  same  as  the  second  "beast"  of  Revelation.  If  at  the 
first  look  it  might  appear  so,  a  further  consideration,  it  is 
believed,  will  confirm  the  thought  of  this.  We  must  quote 
the  description  in  full. 

"And  the  king  shall  do  according  to  his  will;  and  he 
shall  exalt  himself,  and  magnify  himself  above  every  god, 
and  shall  prosper  till  the  indignation  be  accomplished, 
for  that  that  is  determined  shall  be  done.  Neither  shall 
he  regard  the  God  of  his  fathers,  nor  the  Desire  of  women, 
nor  regard  any  god;  for  he  shall  magnify  himself  above 
all.  But  in  his  estate  shall  he  honor  the  god  of  forces  ; 
and  a  god  whom  his  fathers  knew  not  shall  he  honor  with 
gold  and  silver,  and  with  precious  stones,  and  pleasant 
things.  Thus  shall  he  do  in  the  most  strong  holds  with 
a  strange  god,  whom  he  shall  acknowlejdge  and  increase 
with  glory;  and  he  shall  cause  them  to  rule  over  many, 
and  shall  divide  the  land  for  gain." 

If  we  take  the  prophecy  as  closely  connected,  at  least 
from  the  thirty-first  verse, — and  we  have  seen  that  there 
seems  a  necessity  for  this, — then  this  king  is  described  in 
his  conduct  after  the  abomination  of  desolation  has  been 
set  up  in  the  temple  ;  and  this  strange,  and  it  might  seem 
contradictory  character  that  is  ascribed  to  him,  would 
seem  to  mark  him  out  sufficiently,  that  he  sets  himself  up 


THE    TRINITY    OF    EVIL,    ETC.  157 

above  every  god,  and  yet  has  a  god  of  his  own.     This  is  ] 
exactly  what  is  true  of  the  antichristian  second  beast :  i 
and  there  can  scarcely  be  another  at  such  a  time,  of  whom  I 
it  can  be  true.     But  let  us  look  more  closely. 
'  First,  he  is  a  king ;  and  the  place  of  his  rule  is  clearly, \ 
by  the  connection,  in  the  land  of  Israel.    Thus  he  fills  the  *.  \*Jf(/J 
identical  position  of  the  second  beast.     Then  he  does  ac-  ' 
cording  to  his  own  will,  is  his  own  law — *' lawless,"  as  in  .  »^  %* 
Thessalonians.      His    .self-exaltation    above    every   god  ^ 
naturally  connects  itself  with  blasphemy  against  the  God 
of  gods,  spite  of  which  he  prospers  till  the  indignation  is 
accomplished, — that  is,  the  term  of  God's  wrath  against 
Israel,  a  determinate,  decreed  time.    This  is  the  secret  of 
his  being  allowed  to  prosper,  that  God  wills  to  use  him   -       -   . 
as  a  rod  of  discipline  for  His  people.     Israel's  sins  giwt/ifjA^^ 
power  to  their  adversaries.  T\it»^^  ' 

The  next  verse  intimates  that  he  is  a  Jew  himself,  an    ^ 
apostate  one,  for  he  regards  not  the.  God  of  his  fathers.         ^  . 
It  is  not  natural  to  apply  this  to  any  other  than  the  true    ?/  A 
God,  and  then  his  ancestry  is  plain.     Then  too  the  "  de-  ^ 

sire  of  women,"  put  as  here  among  the  objects  of  wor- 
ship, is  the  Messiah,  promised  as  the  "woman's  seed." 
Thus  his  character  comes  still  more  clearly  out. 

Yet,  though  thus  exalting  himself,  he  has  a  god  of  his 
own,  the  "god  of  forces,",  or  "fortresses."  And  we  have 
seen  the  second  beast's  object  of  worship  is  the  first 
beast ;  a  political  idol,  sought  for  the  strength  it  gives,  a 
worship  compounded  of  fear  and  greed.  Thus  it  is  in- 
deed a  god  whom  his  fathers  knew  not,  none  of  the  old 
gods  of  which  the  world  has  been  so  full,  although  the 
dark  and  dreadful  power  behind  it  is  the  same  :  the  face 
is  changed,  but  not  the  heart. 

Indeed  strongholds  are  his  trust,  and  he  practices  against 
them  with  the  help  of  this  strange  god  :  this  seems  the 
meaning  of  the  sentence  that  follows.  "And  whosoever  ac- 
knowledges him  he  will  increase  with  glory,  and  cause  him 
to  rule  over  the  multitude,  and  divide  the  land  for  gain." 


iS8  ''things  that  shall  be." 

In  all  this  we  find  what  agrees  perfectly  with  what  is 
elsewhere  stated  of  the  "man  of  sin."  There  are  no 
doubt  difficulties  in  interpreting  this  part  of  Daniel  con- 
sistently all  through,  especially  in  the  connection  of  the 
"king"  here  spoken  of  with  the  setting  up  of  the  abom- 
ination in  the  thirty-first  verse.  For  it  is  the  king  of  the 
north  who  there  seems  to  inspire  this ;  and  the  king  of 
the  north  is  throughout  the  chapter  the  Grecian  king  of 
Syria,  and  the  part  he  plays  is  clearly  that  which 
Antiochus  did  play.  From  this  it  is  very  natural  that 
it  should  be  conceived  (as  by  some  it  is)  that  the  king  of 
the  north  and  Antichrist  are  one.  If  this  were  so,  it  would 
not  alter  any  thing  that  has  been  said  as  to  the  applica- 
tion of  the  prophecy,  although  there  might  be  a  difficulty 
as  to  a  Grecian  prince  becoming  a  Jewish  false  Christ. 

But  there  is  no  need  for  this ;  nor  any  reason  that  I 
am  aware  why  the  perpetration  of  the  awful  wickedness 
in  connection  with  Jehovah's  sanctuary  should  not  be  the 
work  of  more  than  even  the  two  beasts  of  Revelation.  It 
is  certainly  striking  that  in  chap,  viii.,  where  the  rise  of 
this  latter-day  Grecian  power  is  depicted,  the  taking  away 
of  the  daily  sacrifice  is  linked  in  some  way  with  his  mag- 
nifying himself  against  the  Prince  of  the  host  {v.  ii).  It 
may  not  be  positively  asserted  that  it  is  done  by  him,  (as 
most  translators  and  interpreters  however  give  it,)  yet  the 
connection  is  so  natural,  one  might  almost  say,  inevitable, 
that,  had  we  this  passage  alone,  all  would  take  it  so.  How 
much  more  would  one  think  so  when  the  eleventh  chap- 
ter seems  so  entirely  to  confirm  this? 

Let  it  be  remembered  that  Greece  was  one  of  the 
provinces  of  the  Roman  empire,  and  as  such  would  seem 
to  be  subject  to  it  upon  its  revival,  whether  or  not  the 
bond  with  it  be  broken  before  the  end.  Why  not  a  com- 
bination of  powers  and  motives  in  the  commission  of  this 
last  blasphemous  crime,  even*as  in  the  cross  Jew  and 
Gentile  were  linked  together? 

The  instrument  is  no  doubt  the  antichristian  power  in 


THE    EAR'IH-TRIAL.  1 59 

Judaea,  bnt  the  Grecian  power  may  none  the  less  have  its 
full  part,  and  both  of  these  be  in  subordination  to  the 
head  of  the  western  empire. 


PART  IV. 
THE  EARTH-TRIAL.  (Chap,  xiv.) 


**  First-Fruits."  (e;?;.  1-5.) 

THE  manifestation  of  evil  is  complete ;  we  are  now 
to  see  God's  dealings  as  to  it.  These  acts  of  Satan 
and  his  ministers  are  a  plain  challenge  of  all  His 
rights  in  Israel  and  the  earth  ;  and  further  patience  would 
be  no  longer  patience,  but  dishonor.  Hence  we  find  now, 
as  in  answer  to  the  challenge,  the  La^nb  upon  Mount  Zion^ 
— that  is,  upon  David's  seat ;  and  as  the  beast's  followers 
have  his  mark  upon  them,  so  the  followers  of  Christ, 
associated  with  Him  here,  have  His  and  His  Father's 
name  upon  their  foreheads.  What  this  means  can 
scarcely   be    mistaken. 

Zion  is  not  only  identified  in  Scripture  with  David  and 
his  sovereignty,  but  very  plainly  with  the  sovereign  grace 
of  God,  when  everything  intrusted  to  man  had  failed  in 
Israel,  priesthood  had  broken  down,  the  ark  gone  into 
captivity  in  the  enemy's  land,  and  although  restored  by 
the  judgment  of  God  upon  the  Philistines,  was  no  more 
sought  unto  in  the  days  of  Saul.  He,  though  Jehovah's 
anointed  king,  had  become  apostate.  All  might  seem  to 
have  gone,  but  it  was  not  so ;  and  in  this  extremity,  as 
the  seventy-eighth  psalm  says,  "  Then  the  Lord  awaked 
as  one  out  of  sleep,  .  .  .  and  He  smote  His  adversaries 
backward.  Moreover,  He  refused  the  tent  of  Joseph,  and 
chose  not  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  but  chose  the  tribe  of 
Judah — the  Mount  Zion  which  He  loved.  .  .  .  He  chose 
also    David    His   servant."     Nor   was   this  a  temporary 


i6o 


"things  that  shall  be. 


choice  :  as  a  later  psalm  adds,  "  For  Jehovah  hath  chosen 
Zion  ;  He  hath  desired  it  for  His  habitation.  This  is  My 
rest  forever:  here  will  I  dwell,  for  I  have  desired  it." 
(Ps.  cxxxii.  13,  14.) 

Thus,  though  the  long  interval  of  so  many  centuries 
may  seem  to  argue  repentance  upon  God's  part,  it  is  not 
really  so  :  "God  is  not  man,  that  He  should  lie  ;  nor  the 
son  of  man,  that  He  should  repent."  The  Lamb  on  Zion 
shows  us  the  true  David  on  the  covenanted  throne,  and 
Zion  by  this  lifted  above  the  hills  indeed.  The  vision  is 
of  course  anticipative,  for  by  and  by  we  find  that  the 
beast  still  exists.  The  end  is  put  first,  as  it  is  with  Him 
who  sees  it  from  the*  beginning,  and  then  we  trace  the 
steps  that  lead  up  to  it. 

But  who  are  the  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand 
associated  with  the  Lamb?  Naturally  one  would  identify 
them  with  the  similar  number  sealed  out  of  the  twelve 
tribes  in  the  seventh  chapter,  and  the  more  so  that  the 
Lamb's  and  His  Father's  name  upon  their  foreheads 
seems  to  be  the  effect  of  this  very  sealing,  which  was 
upon  the  forehead  also.  No  other  mark  is  given  us  as  to 
them  in  the  former  vision,  of  whom  we  read  as  exempted 
from  the  power  of  the  locusts  afterward.  Here,  if  it  is 
not  directly  affirmed  that  these  are  sealed,  yet  it  seems 
evident,  a  seal  having  been  often  a  stamp  with  a  namei 
and  the  purpose  of  the  sealing  in  the  former  case  being 
to  mark  them  out  as  God's,  this  is  manifestly  accom- 
plished by  the  name  upon  them.  This  open  identification 
with  Christ  in  the  day  of  His  rejection  might  seem  to  be 
what  would  expose  them  to  all  the  power  of  the  enemy, 
yet  it  is  that  which  in  fact  marks  them  for  security.  In 
*  reality,  what  a  protection  is  the  open  confession  of  Christ 
as  the  One  we  serve  !  There  is,  in  fact,  no  safer  place 
for  us  than  that  of  necessary  conflict  under  the  Lord's 
banner  ;  and  the  end  is  glory.  Here  they  stand — these 
confessors,  openly  confessed  by  Him  on  His  side;  and 
their  having  been  through  the  suffering  and  the  conflict 


THE   EARTH-TRIAT,.  l6l 

is  just  that  which  brings  them  here  upon  the  mount  of 
royalty  :  it  is  "  if  we  suffer,  we  shall  also  reign  with  Him."  ,         ^ 

Another  inestimable  privilege  they  have    got,  though  ^y^' 
clearly  an  earthly,  not  a  heavenly  company  :    they  are  L    ^V 
able  to  leani  a  song  that  is  sung  in  heaven.     ''And  I^^ 
heard  a  voice  from  heaven,   as  a  voice  of  many  waters, 
and  as  a  voice  of  great  thunder;  and  the  voice  which  I 
heard  was  of  harpers  harping  with  their  harps ;  and  they 
sing  a  new  song  before  the  throne,  and  before  the  four 
living  beings  and  the  elders  :    and  no  one  was  able  to 
learn  the  song,  except  the  hundred  and  forty-four  thou- 
sand that  were  purchased  from  the  earth." 

It  is  clear  that  the  company  here  occupy  a  place  analo-"- 
gous  to  that  of  the  Gentile  multitude  of   the  seventh  j 
chapter,  who  stand  before  the  throne  and  the  living  ones  j 
also.    The  vision  in  either  case  being  anticipative,  we  can 
understand  that  earth  and  heaven  are  at  this  time  brought 
near  together,  and  that  "standing"  before   the   throne  ; 
and  "singing"  before  the  throne  involve  no  necessary^ 
heavenly  place  for  those  who  sing  or  stand  there.     Here 
they  stand  upon  Mount  Zion  while  they  sing  before  the 
throne, — if,  that  is,  the  singers  are  primarily  the  hundred 
and  forty-four  thousand,  as  many  think.     What  seems  in 
opposition  to  this  is  that  the  voice  is  heard  from  heaven, 
and  that  the  company  on  Mount  Zion  are  spoken  of  as 
learners  of  the  song.     On  the  other  side,  the  difficulty  is  > 
in  answering  the  question.  Who  are  these  harpers,  plainly 
human  ones,  who  are  distinguished  from  the  elders,  yet 
in  heaven  at  this  time  ?     Remembering  what  the  time  is 
may  help  us  here.     May  they  not  be  the  martyrs  of  the 
period  with  which  thfe  prophecy  in  general  has  to  do, — 
those  seen  when  the  fourth  seal  is  opened,  and  those  for 
whom  they  are  bidden  to  wait — the  sufferers  under  the 
beast  afterward  ?  two  classes  which  are  seen  as  completing 
the  ranks  of  the  first  resurrection  in  the  twentieth  chapter. 
These  would  give  us  a  third  class,  evidently — neither  the 
heavenly  elders  nor  the  sealed  ones  of  Israel ;  and  yet  in 


i62  "things  that  shall  be." 

closest  sympathy  iviih  the  latter.  It  could  not  be  thought 
strange  that  these  should  be  able  to  learn  their  song. 
And  at  the  time  when  the  Lamb  is  King  on  Zion,  this 
third  class  would  certainly  be  found  filling  such  a  place 
as  that  of  the  harpers  here. 

This  seems  to  meet  every  difficulty,  indeed  :  for  their 
song  would  clearly  be  a  new  song,  such  as  neither  the 
Old  Testament  nor  the  revelation  of  the  Church-mystery 
could  account  for  ;  while  the  living  victors  over  the  beast 
would  seem  rightly  here  to  enter  into  the  song  of  others, 
rather  than  to  originate  it  themselves. 

But  they  have  their  own  peculiar  place,  as  on  Mount 
Zion,  first-fruits  of  earth's  harvest  to  God  and  to  the 
Lamb,  purchased  from  among  men,  (grace,  through  the 
blood  of  Christ,  the  secret  of  their  blessing,  as  of  all 
other,)  but  answering  to  that  claim  in  a  true  undefiled 
condition,  in  virgin-faithfulness  to  Him  who  is  afresh 
espousing  Israel  to  Himself.  In  their  mouth  thus  no  lie 
is  found,  for  they  are  blameless :  and  these  last  words  we 
shall  surely  read  aright  when  we  remember  that  to  those 
who  have  not  received  the  love  of  the  truth,  "  God  will 
send  strong  delusion,  that  they  may  believe  the  lie" 
(2  Thess.  ii.  11),  and  the  apostle's  question,  ''Who  is  the 
liar,  but  he  that  denieth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ?"  and 
that  "  he  is  the  antichrist  who  denieth  the  Father  and  the 
Son."  (i  Jno.  ii.  21,  22.)  The  names  of  the  Lamb  and  of 
His  Father  are  on  the  foreheads  of  these  sealed  ones. 

The  Everlasting  Gospel,  {iw.  6,  7.) 

It  is  a  foregleam  of  the  day  that  comes  that  the  first 
vision  of  this  chapter  shows  us  :  bu<t,  although  the  day  is 
coming  fast,  we  have  first  to  see  the  harbingers  of  judg- 
ment, and  then  the  judgment,  before  it  can  arrive. 
Righteousness,  unheeded  when  it  spoke  in  grace,  must 
now  speak  in  judgment,  that  "the  work  of  righteousness" 
may  be  "peace;  and  the  effect  of  righteousness,  quiet- 
ness and  assurance  forever."  (Isa.  xxxii.  17.) 


THE    EARTH-TRIAL.  163 

In  this  way  it  is  that  we  come  now  to  what  seems 
to  us  perhaps  a  strange,  sad  gospel,  and  yet  is  the  ever- 
lasting one,  which  an  "angel  flying  in  mid-heaven," 
preaches  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth.  And  this  is 
what  his  voice  declares  :  "  Fear  God,  and  give  glory  to 
Him ;  for  the  hour  of  His  judgment  is  come  ;  and  wor- 
ship Him  who  made  heaven  and  earth  and  the  sea  and 
the  fountains  of  waters." 

How  any  one  could  confound  this  gospel  of  judgment! 
with  the  gospel  of  salvation  by  the  cross  would  seem  hard; 
to  understand,  except  as  we  realize  how  utterly  the  differ-^ 
ence  of  dispensations  has  been  ignored  in  common  teach-  I 
ing,  and  how  it  is  taken  as  a  matter  of  course  that  the 
"gospel  " must  be  always  one  and  the  same  gospel ;  which 
even  the  epithet  "everlasting"  is  easily  taken  to  prove. 
Does  it  not  indeed  assert  it  ? — that  the  same  gospel  was 
preached,  of  course,  in  a  clearer  or  a  less  clear  fashion, 
all  through  the  dispensation  of  law  and  before  it? 

No  doubt  the  everlasting  gospel  must  be  that  which 
from  the  beginning  was  preached,  and  has  been  preaching 
ever  since,  although  it  should  be  plain  that  "the  hour  of 
His  judgment  is  come"  is  just  what  with  truth  no  one  in 
Christian  times  could  say.     Plain  it  is  too  that  the  com- 
mand to  worship  God  the  Creator  is  not  what  any  one 
who  kfiew  the  gospel  could  take  as  that.     In  fact,  the* 
gospel  element,  or  glad  tidings,  in  the  angel  message  is) 
just  found  in  that  which  seems  most  incongruous  with  itA 
to-day — that  the  "hour  of  His  judgment  is  come."   What  I 
else  in  it  is  "tidings"  at  all?     That  certainly  is;    and  if 
serious,  yet  to  those  who  know  that  just  in  this  way  de- 
liverance is  to  come  for  the  earth,  it  is  simple  enough 
that  the  coming  of  the  delivering  judgment  is  in  fact  the 
gospel. 

Listen  to  that  same  gospel,  as  a  preacher  of  old  declared 
it.  With  what  a  rapture  of  exultation  does  he  break  out 
as  he  cries, — 


164  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

"Oh  sing  unto  the  Lord  a  new  song  ! 
Sing  unto  the  Lord,  all  the  earth. 
Sing  unto  the  Lord,  bless  His  name ; 
Show  forth  His  salvation  from  day  to  day ! 
Declare  His  glory  among  the  nations, 
His  marvelous  works  among  all  the  peoples ! 

****** 
Tremble  before  Him,  all  the  earth  ! 
Say  among  the  nations  that  the  Lord  reigneth; 
The  world  also  is  established,  that  it  cannot  be  moved: 
He  shall  judge  the  peoples  with  equity. 
Let  the  heavens  be  glad,  and  let  the  earth  rejoice  ! 
Let  the  sea  roar,  and  the  fullness  thereof ! 
Let  the  field  exult,  and  all  that  is  therein  ! 
Then  shall  all  the  trees  of  the  wood  sing  for  joy  before 

the  Lord  ; 
For  He  cometh,  for  He  cometh,  to  judge  the  earth. 
He  shall  judge  the  world  with  righteousness. 
And  the  peoples  with  His  truth  ! "  (Ps.  xcvi.) 

Here  is  a  gospel  before  Christianity;  and  it  has  been 
sounding  out  all  through  Christianity,  whether  men  have 
heard  it  or  have  not.  And  it  is  but  the  echo  of  what  we 
hear  in  Eden,  before  the  gate  of  the  first  paradise  shuts 
upon  the  fallen  and  guilty  pair, — that  the  seed  of  the 
woman  shall  crush  the  serpent's  head.  That  is  a  gospel 
which  has  been  ringing  through  the  ages  since,  and  which 
may  well  be  called  the  everlasting  one.  Its  form  is  only 
altered  by  the  fact  that  now  at  last  its  promise  is  to  be 
fulfilled.  "Judgment"  is  now  to  "return  to  righteous- 
ness." The  "rod"  is  "iron,"  but  henceforth  in  the 
Shepherd's  hand.  Man's  day  is  past,  the  day  of  the  Lord 
is  come  ;  and  every  blow  inflicted  shall  be  on  the  head  of 
evil,  the  smiting  down  of  sorrow  and  of  all  that  brings  it. 
What  can  he  be  but  rebel-hearted,  who  shall  refuse  to  join 
the  anthem  when  the  King- Creator  comes  into  His  own 
again?  The  angel-evangel  is  thus  a  claim  for  worship 
from  all  people,  and  to  Him  that  cometh  every  knee  shall 
bow. 


the  earth-trial.  165 

The  Fall  of  Babylon,  (v.  8.) 

That  the  message  of  judgment  is  indeed  a  "gospel" 
we  find  plainly  in  the  next  announcement,  which  is 
marked  as  that  of  a  "second"  angel,  a  "third"  fol- 
lowing, similar  in  character,  as  we  shall  see  directly. 
Here  it  is  announced  that  Babylon  the  Great  has  fallen  : 
before,  indeed,  her  picture  has  been  presented  to  us, 
which  we  find  only  in  the  seventeenth  chapter.  The 
name  itself  is,  however,  significant,  as  that  of  Israel's 
great  enemy,  under  whose  power  she  lay  prostrate  seventy 
years,  and  itself  derived  from  God's  judgment  upon  an 
old  confederation,  the  seat  of  which  became  afterward 
the  centre  of  Nimrod's  empire.  But  that  was  not  Babylon 
//le  Great,  although  human  historians  would  have  given 
her,  no  doubt,  the  palm  ;  with  God,  she  was  only  the  type 
of  a  power  more  arrogant  and  evil  and  defiant  of  Him 
than  the  old  Chaldsean  despot,  and  into  whose  hands  the 
Church  of  Christ  has  fallen, — the  heavenly,  not  the  earthly 
people.  It  is  an  old  history  rehearsed  in  a  new  sphere 
and  with  other  names, — a  new  witness  of  the  unity  of 
man  morally  in  every  generation. 

The  sin  on  account  of  which  it  falls  reminds  us  still  of 
Babylon,  while  it  has  also  its  peculiar  aggravation.  Of 
her  of  old  it  was  said,  "Babylon  hath  been  a  golden  cup 
in  the  Lord's  hand  that  made  all  the  earth  drunken  :  the 
nations  have  drunk  of  her  wine;  therefore  the  nations  are 
mad."  (Jer.  li.  7.)  But  it  is  not  said,  "the  wine  of  the 
fury  of  her  fornication."  This  latter  expression  shows 
that  Babylon  is  not  here  a  mere  political  but  a  spiritual 
power.  One  who  belongs  professedly  to  Christ  has  pros- 
tituted herself  to  the  world  for  the  sake  of  power.  She 
has  inflamed  the  nations  with  unholy  principles,  which  act 
upon  men's  passions,  (easily  stirred,)  as  we  see,  in  fact, 
in  Rome.  By  such  means  she  has  gained  and  retained 
power ;  by  such,  after  centuries  of  change,  she  holds  it 
still.     But  the  time  is  at  hand  when  they  will  at  last  fail 


l66  *' THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

her,  and  this  is  what  the  angel  declares  now  to  have  come. 
Babylon  is  fallen,  and  that  fall  is  final :  it  is  the  judgment 
of  God  upon  her  ;  it  is  retributive  justice  for  centuries  of 
corruption ;  it  is  a  note  of  the  everlasting  gospel,  which 
claims  the  earth  for  God,  and  announces  its  deliverance 
from  its  oppressors.  But  we  have  yet  only  the  announce- 
ment :  the  details  will  be  given  in  due  place. 

The  Warning  to  the  Beast-Worshipers. 

(vv.  9-lS.) 

A  THIRD  angel  follows,  noted  as  that,  and  belonging, 
therefore,  to  the  company  of  those  that  bring  the  gospel 
of  blessing  for  the  earth.  That  it  comes  in  the  shape  of 
a  woe,  we  have  seen  to  be  in  no  wise  against  this.  Baby- 
lon is  not  the  only  evil  which  must  perish  that  Christ  may 
reign  ;  and  Babylon's  removal  only  makes  way  at  first  for 
the  full  development  of  another  form  of  it  more  openly 
blasphemous  than  this.  The  woman  makes  way  for  the 
man, — what  professes  at  least  subjection  to  Christ,  for 
that  which  is  open  revolt  against  Him.  Here,  therefore, 
the  woe  threatened  is  far  more  sweeping  and  terrible  than 
in  the  former  case  ;  there  are  people  of  God  who  come 
out  of  Babylon,  and  who  therefore  were  in  her  to  come 
out  (chap,  xviii.  4).  But  the  beast  in  its  final  form  insures 
the  perdition  of  all  who  follow  it:  *'If  any  man  worship 
the  beast  and  his  image,  and  receive  his  mark  in  his  fore- 
head or  in  his  hand,  the  same  shall  drink  " — or  "he  also 
shall  drink" — ''of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God  which  is 
poured  out  without  mixture  into  the  cup  of  His  indigna- 
tion ;  and  he  shall  be  tormented  with  fire  and  brimstone 
in  the  presence  of  the  holy  angels,  and  in  the  presence  of 
the  Lamb;  and  the  smoke  of  their  torment  ascendeth  up 
forever  and  ever ;  and  they  have  no  rest,  day  nor  night, 
who  worship  the  beast  and  his  image,  and  whosoever 
receiveth  the  mark  of  his  name." 

It  is  the  beast  who  destroys  Babylon,  after  having  for 
a  time  supported  her  :  his  own  pretension  tolerates  no 
divided  allegiance,  and  in  him  the  unbelief  of  a  world 


THK    EARTH-TRIAL.  167 

culminates  in  self-worship.  Here  God's  mercy  can  only 
take  the  form  of  loud  and  emphatic  threatening  of  ex- 
treme penalty  for  those  who  worship  the  beast.  In  pro- 
portion to  the  fearful  character  of  the  evil  does  the  Lord 
give  open  assurance  of  the  doom  upon  it,  so  that  none 
may  unknowingly  incur  it.  Here  "the  patience  of  the 
saints"  is  sustained  in  a  "reign  of  terror"  such  as  has 
never  yet  been. 

Faith  too  is  sustained  in  another  way,  namely,  by  the 
special  consolation  as  to  those  who  die  as  martyrs  at  this 
time :  "  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying  unto  me, 
*  Blessed  are  the  dead  that  die  in  the  Lord  froin  hence- 
forth' "     That  is  clearly  encouragement  under  peculiar 
circumstances.     All  who  die  in  the  Lord  must  be  blessed ^ 
at  any  time  ;  but  that  only  makes  it  plainer  that  the  cir-- 
cumstances  must  be  exceptional  now  which  require  such 
comfort  to  be  so  expressly  provided  for  them.    Something, 
must  have  produced  a  question  as  to  the  blessedness  of 
those  that  die  at  this  time  ;  and  in  this  we  have  an  inci-  \ 
dental   confirmation — stronger   because   incidental — that  ' 
the  resurrection  of  the  saints  has  already  taken  place.    Were      ^ 
they  still  waiting  to  be  raised,  the  blessedness  of  those 
who  as  martyrs  join  their  company  could  scarcely  be  in 
doubt.     The  resurrection   having  taken   place,  and   the 
hope  of  believers  being  now  to  enter  alive  into  the  king- 
dom of  the  Son  of  Man  at  His  appearing, — as  the  Lord 
says  of  that  time,  "  He  that  shall  endure  to  the  end,  the 
same  shall  be  saved"  (Matt.  xxiv.  13), — the  question  is 
necessarily  raised.      What  shall  be  the  portion  of  these- 
martyrs,  then,  must  not  remain  a  question  ;   and  in  the " 
tenderness  of  divine  love  the  answer  is  here  explicitly  , 
given.     Specially  blessed  are  those  who  die  from  hence-  1 
forth  :  they  rest  from  their  labors;  they  go  to  their  reward.  ! 
The  Spirit  seals  this  with  a  sweet  confirming  "yea" — so 
it  is.     Earth  has  only  cast  them  out  that  heaven  may  re- 
ceive them  ;  they  have  suffered,  therefore  they  shall  reign 
with  Christ.     Thus  accordingly  we  find  in  the  tvventieth^^ 


i68  "things  that  shall  be." 

chapter,  that  when  the  thrones  are  set  and  filled,  those 

that  have  suffered  under  the  beast  are  shown  as  rising 

from  the  dead  to  reign  with  the  rest  of  those  who  reign 

.  with  Him.     Not  the  martyrs  in  general,  but  these  of  this 

j  special  time  are  marked  distinctly  as  finding  acknowledg- 

|ment  and  blessing  in  that  "first  resurrection,"  from  which 

jit  might  have  seemed  that  they  were  shut  out  altogether. 

'      It  may  help  some  to  see  how  similar  was  the  difficulty 

that  had  to  be  met  for  the  Thessalonian  saints,  and  which 

the  apostle  meets  also  with  a  special  "  word  of  the  Lord  " 

in  his  first  epistle.     They  too  were  looking  for  the  Lord, 

so  that  the  language  of  their  hearts  was  (with  that  of  the 

apostle),  ^'We  who  are  alive  and  remain  unto  the  coming 

of  the  Lord."     They  had   been   "turned  to  God   from 

idols,  to  serve  the  living  and  true  God,  and  to  wait  for 

His  Son  from  heaven  ; "  and  with  a  lively  and  expectant 

faith  they  waited. 

But  then  what  about  those  who  were  fallen  asleep  in 
Christ?     It  is  evident  that  here  is  all  their  difficulty.    He 
would  not  have  them  ignorant  concerning  those  that  were 
asleep,  so  as  to  be  sorrowing  for  them,  hopeless  as  to 
their  share  in  the  blessing  of  that  day.     Nay,  those  who 
remained  would  not  go  before  these  sleeping  ones :  f/iey 
would  rise  first,  and   those  who   were  alive  would   then 
be  "caught  up  7m'l/i  them,  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air." 
This  for  Christians  now  is  thus  the  authoritative  word  of 
comfort.     But  the  sufferers  under  the  beast  would  not 
find    this   suffice  for  them;   for  them  the   old   difficulty 
appears  once  more,  and  must  be  met  with  a  new  revela- 
tion. 
I      How    perfect    and   congruous  in  all  its   parts  is  this 
precious  Word  of  God  !     And  how  plainly  we  have  in 
,  what  might  seem  even  an  obscure  or  strange  expression 
j  — " blessed /;-^w  henceforth'' — a  confirmation  of  the  gen- 
\  eral  interpretation  of  all  this  part  of  Revelation  !     The 
historical  interpretation,  however  true,  as  a  partial  antici- 
patory fulfillment,  fails  here  in  finding  any  just  solution. 


the  earth-triai,.  169 

The  Harvest  and  the  Vintage,  {vv.  14-20.) 

In  the  next  vision  the  judgment  falls.  The  Son  of  Man 
upon  the  cloud,  the  harvest,  the  treading  of  the  wine- 
press, are  all  familiar  to  us  from  other  Scriptures,  and  in 
connection  with  the  appearing  of  the  Lord.  We  need 
have  no  doubt,  therefore,  as  to  what  is  before  us  here. 

The  "harvest"  naturally  turns  us  back  to  our  Lord's 
parable,  where  wheat  and  tares  represent  the  mingled  as- 
pect of  the  kingdom,  the  field  of  Christendom.  "  Tares" 
are  not  the  fruit  of  the  gospel,  but  the  enemy's  work, 
who  sows  not  the  truth  of  God,  but  an  imitation  of  it. 
The  tares  are  thus  the 'children  of  the  wicked  one,'  deniers 
of  Christ,  though  professing  Christians.  The  harvest 
brings  the  time  of  separation,  and  first  the  tares  are  gath- 
ered and  bound  in  bundles  for  the  burning,  and  along 
with  this  the  wheat  is  gathered  into  the  barn.  In  the  in- 
terpretation afterward  we  have  a  fuller  thing :  the  tares 
are  cast  i7ito  the  fire,  and  the  righteous  shine  forth  as  the 
sun  in  their  Father's  kingdom. 

Here  the  general  idea  of  harvest  would  be  the  same, 
though  it  does  not  follow  that  it  will  be  a  harvest  of  the 
same  nature.     In  the  harvest-time  there  are  crops  reaped 
of  various  character  :    the   thought   is  of  discriminative 
judgment,  such  as  with  the  sheep  and  goats  of  Matt.  xxv. 
There  is  what  is  gathered  in,  as  well  as  what  is  cast  away, 
and  hence  the  Son  of  Man  is  here  as  that.     The  vintage-| 
judgment  is  pure  wrath  :   the   grapes  are  cast  into  the\ 
great  wine-press  of  the  wrath  of  God,  and  thus  it  is  the] 
angel  out  of  the  altar,  who  has  power  over  the  fire,  at  ; 
whose  word  it  comes.     The  vine  of  the  earth  is  a  figure^ 
suitable  to  Israel  as  God's  vine  (Is.  v.),  but  apostate,  yet{ 
cannot  be  confined  to  Israel,  as  is  plain  from  the  connec- 
tion in  which  we  find  it  elsewhere.    But  it  represents  still 
apostasy,  and  thus  what  we  have   seen  to  have  its  centre  ; 
at  Jerusalem,  though  involving  Gentiles  also  far  and  near.  * 
Thus  the  city  also  outside  of  which  the  wine-press  is 


170  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

I  trodden  is  Jerusalem,  as  the  sixteen  hundred  furlongs  is 
^  well  known  to  be  the  length  of  Palestine.   Blood  flows  up 
■  to  the  bits  of  the  horses  for  that  distance — of  course,  a 
ti  figure,  but  a  terrible  one. 

'  Both  figures — the  harvest  and  the  vintage — are  used  in 
Joel,  with  reference  to  this  time :  *'  Proclaim  ye  this 
among  the  nations ;  prepare  war  :  stir  up  the  mighty 
men ;  let  all  the  men  of  war  draw  near ;  let  them 
come  up.  Beat  your  plowshares  into  swords,  and  your 
pruning-hooks  into  spears :  let  the  weak  say,  I  am  strong. 
Haste  ye,  and  come,  all  ye  nations  round  about,  and 
gather  yourselves  together:  hither  cause  Thy  mighty 
ones  to  come  down,  O  Lord  !  Let  the  nations  bestir 
themselves,  and  come  up  to  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat : 
for  there  will  I  sit  to  judge  all  the  nations  round  about. 
Put  ye  in  the  sickle,  for  the  harvest  is  ripe  :  come,  tread 
ye,  for  the  wine-press  is  full,  the  vats  overflow ;  for  their 
wickedness  is  great.  Multitudes,  multitudes  in  the  valley 
of  decision  !  for  the  day  of  the  Lord  is  near  in  the  valh.y 
of  decision.  The  sun  and  the  moon  are  darkened,  and 
the  stars  withdraw  their  shining.  And  the  Lord  shall 
roar  from  Zion,  and  utter  His  voice  from,  Jerusalem  ;  and 
the  heaven  and  the  earth  shall  shake:  but  the  Lord  will 
be  a  refuge  unto  His  people,  and  a  stronghold  to  the 
children  of  Israel." 

Thus  comes  the  final  blessing,  and  the  picture  upon 
which  the  eye  rests  at  last  is  a  very  different  one.  "  So 
shall  ye  know  that  I  am  the  Lord  your  God,  dwelling  in 
Zion  My  holy  mountain  :  then  shall  Jerusalem  be  holy, 
and  there  shall  no  strangers  pass  through  her  any  more. 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  that  the  mountains 
shall  drop  down  sweet  wine,  and  the  hills  shall  flow  with 
milk,  and  all  the  brooks  of  Judah  shall  flow  with  waters,  and 
a  fountain  shall  come  forth  of  the  house  of  the  Lord  and 
water  the  valley  of  Shittim.  .  .  .  And  I  will  cleanse  their 
blood  that  I  have  not  cleansed :  for  the  Lord  dwelleth  in 
Zion." 


THE    VIALS    OF    WRATH.  I71 

PART  V. 
THE   VIALS  OF  WRATH.   (Chaf.  xv.,  xvi.) 


The  Character  of  the  Judgment  Coming. 

(Chap.  XV  ) 

THE  visions  of  the  last  chapter  plainly  reach  to  the 
end  of  judgment  in  the  coming  of  the  Lord  Him- 
self. The  vials,  therefore,  cannot  come  after  these 
'or  go  beyond  them:  in  fact,  the  coming  of  the  Lord  is 
not  openly  reached  in  them,  though  it  may  seem  implied, 
for  in  the  vials  is  filled  up  the  wrath  of  God.  But  the 
coming  of  the  Lord,  although  necessary  to  complete  the 
judgment,  is  yet  so  much  more  than  this,  that  it  would 
seem  even  out  of  place  in  a  vial  of  wrath.  In  the  four- 
teenth chapter,  where  it  is  the  Lamb's  answer  to  the 
challenge  of  the  enemy.  He  does  indeed  appear  :  He 
comes  out  Himself  to  answer.  But  in  this  also  there  is 
more  than  judgment.  The  manifestation  of  Antichrist  is 
met  by  the  manifestation  of  Christ,  as  the  day  antagonizes 
and  chases  away  the  night ;  but  the  day  then  is  come.  In 
the  vials  there  is  simply  the  destruction  of  the  evil ;  and 
while  the  previous  visions  classify  in  a  divine  way  the 
objects  of  wrath,  the  vials  give  us  rather  the  history  in 
detail, — the  succession  of  events  ;  though  this,  of  course, 
like  all  else,  has  divine  meaning  in  it.  All  history  has : 
the  difficulty  is,  with  what  is  common  history,  to  get  the 
facts  distinctly  and  in  proportion,  which  the  inspiration 
of  Scripture-history  secures  for  us.  But  along  with  this,' 
we  have  here,  what  is  obscured  so  much  to  men,  heaven's 
action  in  earth's  history ;  and  heaven  is  acting  in  a  more 
direct  manner  now  that  the  end  is  at  hand,  and  the  wrath  . 
stored  up  for  many  generations  is  to  burst  upon  the  earth  ; 
at  last. 

''And  I  saw  another  sign  in  heaven,  great  and  marvel- 


172  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

ous, — seven  angels  having  seven  plagues — the  last;  for 
in  them  is  finished  the  wrath  of  God." 

The  one  bright  word  here  is  ''  finished."  For  the 
earth  at  large,  it  is  indeed  so.  Judgment  comes,  as  we 
shall  see,  at  the  close  of  the  millennium,  upon  a  special, 
though,  alas  !  a  numerous  class  ;  but  it  is,  nevertheless, 
not  earth  that  rebels,  nor  can  the  hand  that  holds  the 
sceptre  be  any  more  displaced.  How  the  voice  of  the 
"everlasting  gospel"  sounds  in  that  word,  "finished"! 
But  in  proportion  as  the  judgment  is  final  now,  so  must 
it  be  complete,  conclusive.  All  limitations  are  now  re- 
moved :  the  rod  of  iron  thoroughly  does  its  work.  As  in 
the  Lord's  answer  to  His  disciples'  question  as  to  this 
very  period  :  "Wheresoever  the  carcass" — the  corruption 
that  provokes  God's  anger — "is,  there  will  the  eagles  be 
gathered  together." 

But  first — and  this  is  the  style  of  prophecy,  as  we  have 
seen, — before  the  judgment  strikes,  the  gathering  clouds 
are  for  a  moment  parted,  that  we  may  see,  not  the  whole 
good  achieved,' but  the  care  of  God  over  His  own,  who 
in  this  scene  might  seem  to  have  found  only  defeat  and 
forsaking.  Only  07ie  righteous  Man  was  ever  really  for- 
saken. And  we  are  permitted  to  see  how,  in  fact,  He  has 
but  hidden  in  His  own  pavillion,  from  the  strife  of  men, 
those  who  amid  the  battle  drop  down  and  are  lost  to  sight. 
"And  I  saw  as  it  were  a  sea  of  glass,  mingled  with  fire ; 
and  those  that  had  gotten  the  victory  over  the  beast,  and 
over  his  image,  and  over  the  number  of  his  name,  stand- 
ing upon  the  sea  of  glass,  having  harps  of  God.  And 
they  sing  the  song  of  Moses,  the  servant  of  God,  and  the 
song  of  the  Lamb,  saying,  '  Great  and  marvelous  are  Thy 
works.  Lord  God  Almighty ;  just  and  true  are  Thy  ways, 
Thou  King  of  ages.  Who  shall  not  fear,  O  Lord,  and 
glorify  thy  i?ame?  for  Thou  only  art  holy;  for  all  nations 
shall  come  and  worship  before  Thee  ;  for  Thy  righteous 
acts  have  been  made  manifest.' " 

The  sea  of  2:lass  answers  to  the  brazen  sea — the  laver 


THE    VIALS    OF    WRATH.  1 73 

of  the  temple  ;  but  it  is  glass,  not  water :    purification  is 
over,  with  the  need  of  it ;    the  fire  mingled  with  it  indi- 
cates what  they  have  passed   through,  which   God   has 
used  for  blessing  to  their  souls.     That  they  are  a  special  ! 
class  cannot  be  questioned, — martyrs   under  the  beast,  J 
who  have  found  victory  in  defeat,  and  are  perfected  and  j 
at  rest  before  the  throne  of  God. 

They  sing  a  mingled  song — of  Moses  and  of  the  Lamb, 
conquerors  as  those  who  were  delivered  out  of  Egypt,  but 
by  the  might  of  Him  who  goes  forth  as  a  ''man  of  war" 
for  the  deliverance  of  His  people.  The  song  of  the  Lamb 
looks  to  the  victories  recorded  in  this  book,  in  which  the 
"works"  of  the  Lord  God  Almighty  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment are  repeated  by  Him  who  as  King  of  the  ages 
manifests  thus  His  "  ways  "  as  true  and  righteous  through- 
out the  dispensations.* 

Divine  promises  are  being  fulfilled  :  God  is  once  more  j 
taking  up  the  cause  of  His  ancient  people,   while  the) 
sufferers  in  Christian  times  are  no  less  being  vindicated, 
and  their  enemies  judged.   Great  Babylon,  with  the  blood 
of  the  prophets  in  her  skirts,  comes   into  remembrance; 
before  God.     He  has  not  slept,  when  most  He  seemed  to; 
do  so;    and  now  acts  in  judgment  that  makes  all  menj 
fear.     Ripened   iniquity,  come  to  a  head,  wherever  we^ 
may  look,  claims  the  harvest-sickle.     The  open  challenge' 
of  the  enemy  brooks  no  delay  in  answering  it.     It  is  the* 
only  hope  for  the  earth  itself,  which  will  learn  righteous-^ 
ness   when    His  judgments  are   in   it.      While   the   New! 
Testament  here  coalesces  with  the  voice  of  prophecy  in/ 
the  Old,  and  the  cycle  of  the  ages  is  completed  and  re-/ 
turns  into  itself,  only  with  a  Second  Man,  a  new  creation 
and  the  paradise  of  God.     Truly  Christ  is  "King  of  the 
ages." 

*There  is  an  alternative  reading  accepted  by  most  editors,— " nations,'* 
found  in  the  Alexandrian  and  Vatican  MSB.,  with  the  Ethioi)ic  and  Cojitic 
versions.  "Ages"  is  found  in  the  Sinaitic  and  E|)hrjBnii  MSS.,  with  the 
Vulgate.  The  Revised  Version,  with  Weslcott  &  Hort,  iirefer  the  latter, 
which  has  the  oldest  authoi'ity  in  its  favor,  and,  I  judge,  tlie  spiritual  sense. 


174  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    HIT." 

And  now  the  temple  of  the  tabernacle  of  testimony  is 
opened,  where  the  ark  of  His  covenant  has  been  already 
seen.  Faithful  to  that  covenant  now,  in  which  Israel  and 
the  earth  are  together  ordained  to  blessing,  the  seven 
angels  with  the  seven  last  plagues  issue  forth  as  the  result 
of  that  faithfulness.  Thus  they  are  arrayed  in  pure  white 
linen,  and  girded  with  golden  girdles  :  it  is  the  glory  of 
God  in  behalf  of  which  they  serve,  as  the  bowls  or  vials 
are  also  golden,  and  filled  with  His  wrath.  From  the 
glory  of  God  and  from  His  power  smoke  fills  the  temple. 
None  can  therefore  approach  to  intercede.  There  can 
be  no  more  delay:  long-suffering  patience  is  exhausted  : 
"  no  one  was  able  to  enter  into  the  temple  until  the  seven 
plagues  of  the  seven  angels  were  fulfilled." 

The  Vials  of  Wrath.  (Chap,  xvi.) 

The  vials  of  wrath  are  now  poured  out  upon  the 
earth  at  the  bidding  of  a  great  voice  from  the 
temple.  The  wrath  of  God  is  no  mere  ebullition 
of  passion  that  carries  away  the  subject  of  it.  It  waits 
the  word  from  the  sanctuary  ;  and  at  length  that  event- 
ful word  is  spoken.  Completing  the  divine  judgments, 
the  range  of  the  vials  is  not  narrower  than  that  of  the 
prophetic  earth,  and  in  this,  differ  from  the  trumpet- 
series  which  otherwise  they  much  resemble.  Another 
resemblance  which  is  significant  is  to  the  plagues  of 
Egypt,  which  were  at  once  a  testimony  to  the  world  and 
for  the  deliverance  of  Israel.  Israel  is  here  also  in  her 
last  crisis  of  trouble,  and  waiting  for  deliverance,  for 
which  these  judgments,  no  doubt,  prepare  the  way, 
though  that  which  alone  accomplishes  it,  the  coming  of 
the  Lord  Himself,  is  not  plainly  included. 

The  first  vial  is  poured  out  distinctively,  in  contrast 
with  the  sea  and  rivers,  etc.,  upon  the  earthy  like  the  first 
trumpet-judgment ;  but  the  effect  is  different :  an  evil 
and  grievous  sore  breaks  out  upon  those  that  have  the 
mark  of  the  beast,  and  that  worship  his  image.    In  Egypt 


THE    VIALS    OF    WRATH.  1)5 

such  a  plague  routed  their  wise  men  so  that  they  could 
not  stand  before  Moses.  According  to  the  natural  mean- 
ing of  such  a  figure,  it  would  speak  of  inward  corruption 
which  is  made  now  to  appear  outwardly  in  what  is  pain- 
ful, loathsome,  and  disfiguring ;  those  who  had  accepted 
the  beast's  mark  being  thus  otherwise  marked  and 
branded  with  what  is  a  sign  of  their  moral  condition. 
As  the  apostle  shows  (Rom.  i.)  idolatry  is  itself  the  sign 
of  corruption  which  would  degrade  God  into  creature 
semblance  in  order  to  give  free  rein  to  its  lusts.  Here  it 
is  openly  the  worship  of  the  image  of  him  whom  Scrip- 
ture stamps  as  the  "beast,"  which  those  branded  with  his 
mark  give  themselves  up  to.  The  excesses  of  the  French 
revolution,  when  God  was  dethroned  to  make  way  for  a 
prostitute  on  the  altar  of  Notre  Dame,  if  they  be  not,  as 
some  have  thought  them,  the  fulfillment  of  this  vial,  may 
yet  sufficiently  picture  to  us  how  it  may  be  fulfilled  in  a 
time  of  trouble  such  as  never  was  before,  and,  thank  God, 
Such  as  never  will  be  afterward.  -^   ^ 

The  second  vial  is  poured  out  on  the  sea,  and  the  sea  1 
becomes  like  the  blood  of  a  dead  man,  and  every  living 
soul  dies  in  the  sea.  Here  we  have  the  second  trumpet 
in  its  effect  upon  the  sea,  but  without  the  limitation  there. 
And  there  seems  a  difference  also,  in  that  the  blood  is  as 
of  a  dead  man.  It  cannot  be  that  it  is  merely  dead  blood, 
for  all  blood  shed  becomes  that  almost  at  once,  and  the 
sea  turned  into  blood  would  by  itself  suggest  death  with- 
out the  addition.  Would  it  not  rather  seem  to  be,  that 
the  blood  of  a  dead  man,  while  it  is  indeed  dead  blood, 
is  also  that  which  has  no^  been  shed  ?  Life  has  not 
been  violently  taken,  but  lost  though  disease  or  natural 
decay.  Thus  in  the  law  that  which  had  died  of  itself  was 
forbidden  as  food,  because  it  spoke  of  internal  corruption, 
as  the  life  still  vigorous  when  the  blood  was  shed  did 
not.  If  this  thought  be  the  true  one,  then  the  state 
imaged  under  the  second  vial  is  not  that  of  strife  and 
bloodshed  among  the  nations,  but  of  professed  spiritual 


176  "things  that  shall  be." 

life  gone,  which  the  addition,  "  Every  hving  soul  died  in 
the  sea,"  affirms  as  complete.  Life  there  might  be  in 
hunted  and  outlawed  men,  no  longer  recognized  as  part 
of  the  nations ;  but  the  mass  was  dead.  This  seems  to 
me  the  only  thought  that  gives  consistently  the  full  force 
^      1/   of  the  expressions. 

j^j/v^  The  third  vial  is  poured  out  upon  the  ri^vers  and  foiin- 

tains  of  waters,  the  sphere  affected  by  the  third  trumpet  ; 
but  in  the  trumpet  they  are  made  bitter,  now  they  become 
blood,  which,  as  owned  to  be  the  judgment  of  God  upon 
persecutors,  seems  clearly  to  speak  of  bloodshed  :  they 
are  given  blood  to  drink.  Where  naturally  there  should 
be  only  sources  of  refreshment,  as  perhaps  in  family  life, 
there  are  found  instead  strife  and  the  hand  of  violence. 
The  angel  of  the  waters  may  be  in  this  case  the  represen- 
tative of  that  tender  care  of  the  Creator  over  the  creature- 
life,  which  in  this  case  comes  to  be  against  the  persecutor 
and  applauds  His  judgments  ;  as  the  altar  does,  upon 
which  the  lives  of  the  martyrs  have  been  poured  out  to 
God. 
I  This  seems  to  consist  well  with  what  has  been  given 
^  "^^  as  the  interpretation  of  the  second  seal. 

^f  The  fourth  angel   pours  his  vial  upon  the  surij  and  it 

scorches  men  with  its  heat  ;  but  they  only  blaspheme 
God's  name,  and  repent  not.  Here,  as  often,  the  head 
of  civil  authority  seems  to  be  represented  ;  and  Napo- 
leon's career  has  been  taken  as  in  the  historical  appli- 
cation the  fulfillment  of  it.  In  him  after  the  immorality, 
apostasy,  and  bloodshed  of  that  memorable  revolution, 
imperial  power  blazed  out  in  a  destructive  fierceness^ 
that  might  well  be  symbolized  as  scorching  heat.  There 
was  splendor  enough,  but  it  was  not  "a  pleasant  sight  to 
behold  the  sun  : "  the  nation  over  which  he  ruled  was 
oppressed  with  "glory,"  and  soon  manifested  how  its 
vitality  had  been  exhausted  by  its  hot-house  growth.  His 
career  was  brief ;  and  briefer  still  in  proportion  to  its 
intensity  will    be    the    closing  despotism,  which  will  be 


THE    VIALS    OP    WRATH.  I77 

followed  by  the  kingdom  of  the  Son  of  Man,  and  the 
display  of  a  true  glory  unseen  by  the  world  before. 
Tlien  shall  that  be  fulfilled  which  is  written:  "the  Sun 
shall  not  smite  thee  by  day,"  and  how  great  will  be  the 
joy  of   this  that  is  added,   "thy   Sun   shall  no  more  go  ^ 

down;  ...  the  Lord  shall  be  thine  everlasting  Light."   ji^iyc 
(Is.  Ix.  20.)  r^' 

The  fifth  vial  is  poured  out,  and  the  meteoric  blaze  is 
passed.  Poured  on  the  throne  of  the  beast,  darkness 
spreads  over  his  Icmgdom.  "it  is  the  foresha3ow  of  that 
final  withdrawal  of  light,  the  "outer  darkness"  of  that 
awful  time,  when  they  who  have  so  often  bidden  God  with- 
draw from  them  will  be  taken  at  their  word.  But  who 
out  of  hell  can  tell  what  that  will  be  ?  The  sun  has  as- 
cribed to  it  by  the  science  of  the  day  more  than  ever  was 
before  done  ;  but  who  at  any  time  could  have  said  to  the 
glowing  sun.  Depart  from  me  :  I  desire  darkness  ?  Yet 
this  is  what  they  say  to  God. 

•  Nor  does  the  darkness  work  repentance  :  "They 
gnawed  their  tongues  for  pain,  and  blasphemed  the  God 
of  heaven,  because  of  their  pains  and  sores,  and  re- 
pented not  of  their  deeds."  Such  is  the  hardening 
character  of  sin  ;  and  such  is  the  impotence  of  judg- 
ment in  itself  to  break  the  heart  and  subdue  the  soul 
to  God. 

So  far,  spite  of  the  general  character  of  the  vials,  they 
seem  to  have  to  do  almost  entirely  with  the  beast  and  his 
followers ;  and  these  are,  as  we  know,  the  principal 
enemies  of  Israel,  and  the  boldest  in  defiance  of  God, 
at  the  time  of  the  end.  Nevertheless  there  are  other 
adversaries  besides  those  of  the  new  risen  empire  of  the 
west.  The  king  of  the  north  or  of  Greece  is  evidently 
in  opposition  at  the  close  to  the  "  king  in  the  land  of 
Israel,  who  is  the  viceroy  of  the  beast  in  Judea.  (Dan. 
xi.)  This  kmg  of  Greece  also,  if  mighty,  is  so  "  not  by 
his  own  power."  (Dan.  viii.  24.)  There  is  behind  him, 
in  fact,  a  mightier  prince,  who  in  Ezek.  xxxviii.-xxxix, 


178 


"THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE.'' 


comes  clearly  into  view  as  head  of  many  eastern  nations, 
Gog,  of  the  land  of  Magog,  the  prince  of  Rosh,  Meshech 
and  Tubal ;    Persia,  Gush   and  Phut  with  the  house  of 
Togarmah,  (Armenia,)  being  confederate  with  him.    This 
is  not  the  place  to  look  at  the  people  to  whom  all  these 
names  refer.     Magog,  the  first  of  them,  by  common  con- 
sent,  stands  for  the    Scythians,  who,  "  mixed    with   the 
Medes,"  says  Fausset,  "became  the  Sarmatians,  whence 
sprang  the  Russians."     Rosh  is  thus  by  more  than  sound 
connected  with  Russia,  as  Meshech  and  Tubal  may  have 
given  their  names,  but  slightly  changed,  to  Moscow  and 
Tobolsk.    .The  connection  with  Persia  and  Armenia,  and 
with  Greece  no  less,  is  easily  intelligible  at  the  present 
day. 
>  ,    Here  are  powers,  then,  outside  the  revived  Roman  em- 
j  pire,  which  we  find  in  relation  with  Israel  at  the  time  of 
!  the  end,  and  which  will  find  their  place  in  the  valley  of 
\  Jehoshaphat  ("Jehovah's  judgment")  in  the  day  when  the 
I  Lord  sits   there  to  judge  all   the   nations   round  about. 
i  (Joel  iii.  12.)     Accordingly  now,  under  the  sixth  vial,  the 
'  way  is  prepared  for  this,  and  the  gathering  is  accomplished. 
The  sixth  vial  is  poured  out  upon  "the  great  river  Eu- 
phrates," the  effect  being  tli at  the  water  is  dried  up,"  that 
the  ways  of  the  kings  of  the  east  may  be  prepared."  The 
Euphrates  is  the  scene  also  of  the  sixth  trumpet,  which 
would  seem  to  give  but  a  previous  incursion  of  the  same 
powers  that  are  contemplated  here,  the  door  being  now 
set  widely  open  for  them  by  the  drying  up  of  the  river, 
the  boundary  of  the  Roman  empire  in  the  past.     In  the 
trumpet  there  was  but  an  inroad  upon  the  empire  ;  now 
there  is  much  more  than  this  :  it  is  the  gathering  for  the 
great  day  of  God  Almighty  ! 

Accorduigly  all  the  powers  of  evil  are  at  work  :  three 
unclean  spirits  like  frogs  come  out  of  the  mouth  of  the 
dragon,  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  beast,  and  out  of  the 
mouth  of  the  false  prophet ;  for  they  are  the  spirits  of 
demons,  working  miracles,  who   go   forth  unto  the  kings 


THE    VIALS    OF    WRATH.  I79 

of  the  whole  world,  to  gather  them  together  unto  the  war 
of  the  great  day  of  God  Almighty  !  .  .  .  And  they  gath- 
ered them  together  unto  the  place  which  is  called  in  He- 
brew Har-Magedon."  ; 

The  frogs  are  creatures  of  slime  and  of  the  night,  >»f^^Ji 
blatant,  impudent  impotents,  cheap  orators,  who  can  yet 
gather  men  for  serious  work.  Here,  those  brought  to- 
gether little  know  whom  they  go  to  meet ;  but  this  is  the 
common  history  of  men  revealed  in  its  true  character. 
The  cross  has  shown  it  to  us  on  the  one  side  ;  the  con- 
flict of  the  last  days  shows  it  on  the  other.  The  vail  of 
the  world  is  removed,  and  it  is  seen  here  what  influences 
carry  them  :  the  dragon,  the  spirit  of  a  wisdom  which, 
being,  "earthly,"  is  "sensual,  devilish"  (Jas,  iii.  15,);  the 
"beast,"  the  influence  of  power,  which  apostate  from  God 
is  bestial  (Ps.  xlix.  20,);  the  "false  prophet,"  the  inspira- 
tion of  hopes  that  are  not  of  God  :  so  the  mass  are  led. 

Har-magedon  is  the  "mount  of  slaughter."  We  read 
of  Megiddo  in  the  Old  Testament  as  a  "valley,"  not  a 
mountain  ;  whether  it  refers  to  this  or  no,  the  phrase 
seems  equivalent  to  the  "  mountain  of  the  slain,"  a  moun- 
tain of  heaped  up  corpses.  To  this,  ignorant  of  what  is 
before  them,  they  are  gathered. 

A  note  of  urgent  warning  is  interjected  here :  no 
need  of  declaring  the  Speaker!  "Behold,  I  come  as  a 
thief.  Blessed  is  he  that  watcheth  and  keepeth  his  gar- 
ments, lest  he  walk  naked,  and  they  see  his  shame."  It 
is  to  the  world  Christ's  coming  will  be  that  of  a  thief ;  for 
"in  such  an  hour  as  ye  think  not^  the  Son  of  Man 
Cometh."  "Blessed  is  he  that  watcheth  "  is,  as  we  see  by 
the  closing  words,  a  solemn  warning  to  the  heedless. 
Who  will  be  ready  at  this  time  to  hear  ?  In  any  case, 
wisdom  will  utter  its  voice  ;  and  none  shall  go  out  to 
meet  unwarned  the  doom  of  the  rebellious.  Good  it  is  to 
find  just  in  this  place,  whether  heeded  or  not,  the  plead- 
ing of  mercy.  Not  the  less  terrible  on  that  account  the 
doom  that  comes. 


i8o  "things  that  shall  Be.** 

^  And  now  the  seventh  angel  pours  his  vial  into  the 
ajr.  Of  "the  power  of  the  air"  Satan  is  the"j7rince 
(Eph.  ii.  2),  and  all  Satan's  realm  is  shaken.  A  great 
voice  breaks  out  of  tne"*tlirone7  saying,  It  Is  done;  and 
there  are  lightnings,  and  voices,  and  thunders, —  the 
"voices  "  showing  the  lightnings  and  thunders  between 
which  they  come  to  be  no  mere  natural  tempest,  but 
divinely  guided  judgment.  There  is  an  unparalleled 
convulsion  ;  and  the  great  city  (Babylon  or,  as  it  is  ap- 
plied here,  Rome)  is  divided  into  three  parts,  and  the 
cities  of  the  nations  generally  fall.  It  is  added  as  to  a 
special  object  of  the  divine  judgment, — "  And  Babylon 
the  great  was  remembered  before  God,  to  give  unto  her 
the  cup  of  wine  of  the  fierceness  of  His  wrath."  This  is 
in  brief  what  is  given  presently  in  detail.  Babylon  has 
only  once  before  been  named  in  Revelation  ;  but  the  two 
following  chapters  treat  of  it  in  full. 

Then  "every  island  fled  away  : "  as  I  suppose,  there  is 
no  isolation  of  any  from  the  storm;  "and  the  mountains 
were  not  found  : "  no  power  so  great  but  it  is  humbled 
and  brought  low.  "  Aud  a  great  hail,  every  stone  about 
a  talent  weight,  fell  down  from  God  out  of  heaven  upon 
men  :  and  men  blasphemed  God  because  of  the  plague 
of  the  hail  ;  for  the  plague  thereof  was  exceeding 
great." 

In  the  hail  the  effect  of  God's  withdrawal  from  men  is 
seen  in  judgment.  The  source  of  light  and  heat  are  one; 
and  for  the  soul  God  is  the  source  :  the  hail  speaks  not 
of  mere  withdrawal,  but  of  this  becoming  a  pitiless  storm 
of  judgment  which  subdues  all,  except,  alas  !  the  heart 
of,  man  which,  while  his  anguish  owns  the  power  from 
which  he  suffers,  remains  in  its  hard  impenitency  the 
witness  and  justification  of  the  wrath  it  has  brought 
down. 


BABYLON    AND    HER    OVERTHROW.  l8l 

PART  VI.  (Chap,  xvii.-xix.  4.) 
BABYLON     AND     HER    OVERTHROW. 


BABYLON  is  already  announced  as  fallen  in  the  four- 
teenth chapter,  and  as  judged  of  God  under  the 
seventh  vial ;  but  we  have  not  yet  seen  what  Baby- 
lon is,  and  we  are  not  to  be  left  to  any  uncertainty  :  she 
has  figured  too  largely  in  human  history,  and  is  too  sig- 
nificant a  lesson  every  way,  to  be  passed  over  in  so  brief 
a  manner.  We  are  therefore  now  to  be  taught  the  ''  mys- 
tery of  the  woman." 

For  she  is  a  mystery  ;  not  like  the  Babylon  of  old,  the 
plain  and  straightforward  enemy  of  the  people  of  God  : 
she  is  an  enigma,  a  riddle,  so  hard  to  read  that  numbers 
of  God's  people  in  every  age  have  taken  her,  harlot  as 
she  is,  for  the  chaste  spouse  of  the  Lamb.  Yet  here  for 
all  ages  the  riddle  has  been  solved  for  those  who  are 
close  enough  to  God  to  understand  it.  And  the  figure  is 
gaudy  enough  to  attract  all  eyes  to  her — seeking  even  to 
do  so.  Let  us  look  with  care  into  what  is  before  us  in 
these  chapters,  in  which  the  woman  is  evidently  the  cen- 
tral object,  the  beast  on  which  she  is  sitting  being  only 
viewed  in  its  relation  to  her. 

It  is  one  of  the  angels  of  the  vials  who  exhibits  her  to 
the  apostle,  and  his  words  naturally  show  us  what  she  is 
characteristically  as  the  object  of  divine  judgment.  As 
described  by  him,  she  is  '*  the  great  whore  that  sitteth 
upon  many  waters,  with  whom  the  kings  of  the  earth 
have  committed  fornication,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth  have  been  made  drunk  with  the  wine  of  her  forni- 
cation." 

As  brought  into  3  harp  contrast  with  the  beast  that  car- 
ries her,  we    see  that  she   is  a  woman,  has  the  human 


i82  ''things  that  shall  be." 

form,  as  the  beast  has  not.  A  beast  knows  not  God;  and 
in  Daniel  we  have  found  the  Gentile  power  losing  the 
human  appearance  which  it  has  in  the  king's  dream  to 
take  the  bestial,  as  in  the  vision  of  the  prophet.  In 
Nebuchadnezzar  personally  we  see  what  causes  the 
change; — that  it  is  pride  of  heart  which  forgets  depend- 
ence upon  God.  The  woman,  on  the  other  hand,  pro- 
fessedly owns  God,  and  moreover,  as  a  woman,  takes  the 
place  of  subjection  to  the  man, — in  the  symbol  here,  to 
Christ.  When  she  is  removed  by  judgment,  the  true 
bride  is  seen,  to  whom  she  is  in  contrast,  and  not  (as  so 
many  think)  to  the  woman  of  the  twelfth  chapter,  who  is 
mother,  not  bride,  of  Christ,  and  represents  Israel. 

But  the  woman  here  is  a  harlot,  in  guilty  relation  with 
the  kings  of  the  earth.  Her  lure  is  manifestly  ambition, 
the  desire  of  power  on  earth,  the  refusal  of  the  cross  of 
Christ, — the  place  of  rejection  ;  and  the  ivine — the  intoxi- 
cation— of  her  fornication  makes  drunk  the  "dwellers 
upon  earth."  These  we  have  already  seen  to  be  a  class 
of  persons  who  with  a  higher  profession  have  their  hearts 
on  earthly  things.  (Phil.  iii.  xix.;  Rev.  iii.  lo;  xi.  lo;  xiii. 
8.)     These  naturally  drink  in  the  poison  of  her  doctrine. 

To  see  her,  John  is  carried  away,  however,  into  the 
wilderness  ;  for  the  earth  is  that,  and  all  the  efforts  of 
those  who  fain  would  do  so  cannot  redeem  it  from  this. 
There  he  sees  the  woman  sitting  on  a  scarlet-colored 
beast,  full  of  names  of  blasphemy  ;  easily  identified  as  the 
beast  of  previous  visions  by  its  seven  heads  and  ten  horns. 

The  beast  is  in  a  subjection  to  the  woman  which  we 
should  not  expect.  It  is  the  imperial  power,  but  in  a 
position  contrary  to  its  nature  as  imperial,  in  this  harmo- 
nizing with  the  interpretation  of  the  angel  afterward, — 
the  "beast  that  was,  and  is  7wty  In  some  sort  it  is;  in 
some  sort  it  is  not ;  and  this  we  have  to  remember,  as  we 
think  of  its  heads  and  horns.  If  the  beast  "is  not,"  nec- 
essarily its  heads  and  horns  are  not.  These  are  for  iden- 
tification, not  as  if  they  were  existing  while  the  woman  is 


BABYLON    AND    HER    OVERTHROW.  183 

being  carried  by  it.  In  fact,  she  is  now  its  head,  and 
reigns  over  its  body,  over  the  mass  that  was  and  that  will 
be  again  the  empire,  but  now  "  is  not." 

What  are  we  to  say  of  the  scarlet  color  and  the  names 
of  blasphemy?     Are  they  prospective,   like    the    horns? 
The  latter  seems  so,  evidently,  and  therefore  it  is  more 
consistent  to  suppose  the  former  also.     The  difficulty  of 
which  may  be  relieved  somewhat  by  the  evident  fact,  that 
of  these  seven  heads,  only  one  exists  at  a  time,  as  we  see 
by  the  angel's  words:  the  seven  seen  at  once  are  again  for 
identification,  not  as  existing  simultaneously.     The  scar- 
let color  is  that  which   typifies  earthly  glory  which    is 
simply  that  :  the  beast's  reign  has  no  link  with  heaven. 
That  it  is  full  of  names^  not  merely  words,  of  blasphemy,  i 
speaks  of  the  assumption  of  titles  which  are  divine,  and  ' 
therefore  blasphemous  to  assume.   Altogether  we  see  that !  >\     V^ 
it  is  the  beast  of  the  future  that  is  presented  here,  but   ^^ 
which  could  not  really  exist  while  carrying  the  woman. 
She  could  not  exist  in  this  relation  to  him,  he  being  the; 
beast  that  he  is,  and  thus  the  expression  is  fully  justified, ; 
— really  alone  explains  the  matter — the  ^^ beast  thai  is  not,] 
and  will  be.'' 

There  is  clearly  an  identification  of  a  certain  kind  all 
through.  While  the  woman  reigns,  that  over  which  she 
reigns  is  still  in  nature  but  the  beast  that  was,  and  that 
after  her  reign  will  again  be.  There  is  no  fundamental 
change  all  through.  The  Romanized  nations  controlled 
by  Rome  are  curbed,  not  changed.  And  breaking  from 
the  curb,  as  did  revolutionary  France  at  the  close  of  the 
last  century,  the  wild  beast  fangs  and  teeth  at  once  dis- 
play themselves. 

But  we  are  now  called  to  the  consideration  of  the 
woman,  who,  as  reigning  as  the  professed  spouse  of  Christ 
over  what  was  once  the  Roman  empire,  is  clearly  seen  to 
be  what,  as  a  system,  we  still  call  Rome  :  "  that  great  city 
which  reigneth  over  the  kings  of  the  earth  ; "  which  did 
so  even  in  John's  time,  although   to  him   appearing  in  a 


184  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

garb  so  strange  that  when  he  sees  her  he  wonders  with  a 
great  won.der. 

She  is  appareled  in  purple  and  scarlet,  for  she  claims 
spiritual  as  well  as  earthly  authority,  and  these  are  colors 
which  Rome,  as  we  know,  affects,  God  thus  allowing  her 
even  to  the  outward  eye  to  assume  the  livery  of  her  pic- 
ture in  Revelation.  She  is  decked  too  with  gold  and 
precious  stones  and  pearls,  figures  of  really  divine  and 
spiritual  truths,  which,  however,  she  only  outwardly 
adorns  herself  with,  and  indeed  uses  to  make  more  entic- 
ing the  cup  of  her  intoxication  :  ''  having  a  golden  cup 
in  her  hand,"  says  the  apostle,  "full  of  abominations  and 
filthiness  of  her  fornications."  Now  we  have  her  name  : 
"And  upon  her  forehead  was  a  name  written,  '  Mystery, 
Babylon  the  Great,  the  Mother  of  Harlots  and  Abomina- 
tions of  the  Earth.'  " 

Her  name  is  Mystery,  yet  it  is  written  in  her  forehead. 
Her  character  is  plain  if  only  you  can  read  it.  If  you  are 
pure,  you  may  soon  know  that  she  is  not.  If  you  are  true, 
you  may  quite  easily  detect  her  falsehood.  In  lands 
where  she  bears  sway,  as  represented  in  this  picture,  she 
has  managed  to  divorce  morality  from  religion,  that  all 
the  world  knows  the  width  of  the  breach.  Her  priests 
are  used  to  convey  the  sacraments,  and  one  need  not  look 
at  the  hands  too  closely  that  do  so  needful  a  work.  In 
truth  it  is  an  affair  of  the  hands,  with  the  magic  of  a  little 
breath,  by  means  of  which  the  most  sinful  of  His  crea- 
tures can  create  the  God  that  made  him,  and  easily  new 
create  another  mortal  like  himself.  This  is  a  great  mys- 
tery, which  she  herself  conceives  as  "sacrament,"  and  you 
may  see  this  clearly  on  her  forehead  then.  It  is  the  trick 
of  her  trade,  which  without  it  could  not  exist.  With  it,  a 
little  oil  and  water  and  spittle  become  of  marvelous  effi- 
cacy, a  capital  stock  at  least  out  of  which  at  the  smallest 
cost  the  church  creates  riches  and  power,  and  much  that 
has  unquestionable  value  in  her  eyes. 

"Babylon   the  great"   means   "confusion   the  great." 


BABYLON  AND  HER  OVERTHROW.  185 

Greater  confusion  there  cannot  be  than  that  which  con-  f 
founds  matter   and   spirit,  creature  and    Creator,  makes  > 
water  to  wash  the  soul,  and  brings  the  flesh  of  the  Lord 
in  heaven  to  feed  Hterally  with  it  men  on  earth.     Yet  to  j 
this  is  the  larger  part  of  Christendom  captive,  feeding  on  \ 
ashes,  turned  aside  by  a  deceived  heart,  and  they  cannot 
deliver  their  souls,  nor  say, ''  Is  there  not  a  lie  in  my  right 
hand  ?"  (Is.  xliv.  20.)  / 

Nay,  this  frightful  system  has  scattered  wide  the  seed 
of  its  false  doctrine,  and  the  harlot  mother  has  daughters 
like  herself:  she  is  the  "  mother  of  harlots  and  abomina- 
tions of  the  earth."  Solemn  words  from  the  Spirit  of 
truth,  which  may  well  search  many  hearts  in  systems  that 
seem  severed  far  from  Rome,  as  well  as  those  that  more 
openly  approach  her.  Who  dare,  with  these  awful  scrip- ^ 
tures  before  them,  speak  smooth  things  as  to  the  enormi-\ 
ties  of  Rome  ?  To  be  protestant  is  indeed  in  itself  noi 
sign  of  acceptance  with  God,  but  720^  to  be  protestant  is 
certainly  not  to  be  with  God  in  a  most  important  matter. 
This  Roman  Babylon  is  not,  moreover,  some  future  form 
that  is  to  be,  though  it  may  develop  into  worse  yet  than 
we  have  seen.  It  is  that  which  has  been  (in  the  paradox- 
al language  which  yet  is  so  lively  a  representation  of  the 
tcuth)  seated  upon  the  beast  while  the  beast  "  is  not."  It  is 
Popery  as  we  know  it  and  have  to  do  with  it ;  and  woe  to 
kings  and  rulers  who  truckle  to  it,  or  (again  in  the  bold 
Scripture  words)  commit  fornication  with  it  I  ''  Come 
out  from  her,  my  people,  that  ye  be  not  partakers  of  her 
sins,  and  that  ye  receive  not  of  her  plagues  !  " 

"  And  I  saw  the  woman  drunk  with  the  blood  of  the 
saints  and  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus  ;  and  when 
I  saw  her,"  says  the  apostle.  *'  I  wondered  with  a  great 
wonder." 

Romish  apologists  have  been  forced  by  the  evidence  tc 
admit  that  it  is  Rome  that  is  pictured  here:   but  they  say, 
and  some  Protestant  interpreters  have  joined  them  in  it. 
that  it  \?> pagan  Rome.     But  how  little  cause  of  wonder  to/ 


l86  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

John  in  his  Patmos  banishment,  that  the  heathen  world 
should  persecute  the  saints  !  That  this  same  Rome,  pro- 
fessing Christianity,  should  do  it,  this  would  be  indeed  a 
marvel.  With  us  it  is  simple  matter  of  history,  and  we 
have  ceased  to  wonder  ;  while,  alas  !  it  is  true  that  many 
to-day  no  longer  remember,  and  many  more  think  we 
have  no  business  to  remember,  the  persecutor  of  old.  It 
was  the  temper  of  those  cruel  times  of  old,  many  urge  : 
nineteenth  century  civilization  has  tamed  the  tiger,  and 
Rome  now  loves  her  enemies,  as  the  Christian  should. 
But  abundant  testimony  shows  how  false  is  this  assertion. 
Here,  just  before  her  judgment,  the  apostle  pronounces 
her  condemnation  for  the  murder  of  God's  saints  still 
unrepented  of. 

The  angel  now  explains  the  mystery,  and  begins  with 
the  beast.  "  The  beast  that  was  and  is  not "  is  clearly 
from  the  point  of  view  of  the  vision,*  as  has  been  said. 
The  rule  of  the  woman  necessarily  destroys  beast- 
character,  while  it  lasts.  But  the  beast  will  awake  from 
its  long  sleep  :  it  is  ''about  to  come  up  out  of  the  abyss, 
and  to  go  into  perdition."  This  coming  up  out  of  the 
abyss,  however,  as  has  been  elsewhere  said,  does  not 
seem  to  be  merely  the  revival  of  the  empire  :  the  key  of 
the  abyss  in  the  hands  of  the  fallen  star  under  the  fifth 
trumpet,  and  the  angel  of  the  abyss  being  the  person  who 
by  the  two  languages  of  his  name  is  the  "destroyer"  of 
both  Jew  and  Gentile,  would  lead  us  to  believe  that  there 
was  in  it  the  working  of  satanic  power.  This  is  strength- 
ened by  the  connection  of  this  ascent  with  the  "going 
into  perdition  "  of  that  which  comes  up. 

The  previous  revival  under  the  seventh  head  would 
thus  be  passed  over;  and  the  prophecy  hastens  on  to  what 
is  most  important,  the  beast  pictured  here  being  identified 

♦This  is  contrary,  however,  to  the  view  taken  of  it  when  considering 
the  thirteenth  cliapter.  But  the  difficulty  of  the  "beast  that  is  not"  and 
tlie  •'  one  is,"  spoken  of  the  heads  of  the  beast,  seems  in  this  way  to  find  a 
better  solution.  The  i)arngraph  as  to  this  in  t^ie  former  place  may  there- 
fore be  considered  canceled. 


BABYLON  AND  HER  OVERTHROW.         187 

in  fact,  in  the  prophecy  itself,  with  its  own  eighth  head. 
(v.  II.)  That  it  has  only  seven,  as  seen  in  the  vision,  is 
not  against  this  if  the  seventh  and  eighth  heads  are  the 
same  person. 

The  unhappy  "dwellers  upon  the  earth"  wonder  at  this 
revival,  whose  names  have  not  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world  been  written  in  the  book  of  the  Lamb  slain.  Divine 
grace  is  that  alone  which  makes  any  to  differ;  and  of  this 
we  are  reminded  here.  The  power  that  works  in  the  re- 
vival of  the  beast  is  plainly  beyond  that  of  man;  and  how 
many  in  the  present  day  seem  to  take  for  granted  that 
what  is  more  than  human  power  must  be  divine.  This  is 
the  essence  of  the  ''strong  delusion"  which  God  sends 
upon  those  who  have  not  received  the  love  of  the  truth 
that  they  might  be  saved.  Powers  and  signs  and  lying 
wonders  confirm  the  imperial  last  head  in  his  pretension; 
and  that  they  are  '^ lying''  means,  not  that  they  are  mere 
juggling  and  imposition,  but  that  they  are  made  to  foster 
lies.  They  shall  wonder,  "seeing  how  that  the  beast  was 
and  is  not  and  shall  be  present  [again]." 

And  "here  is  the  mind  that  hath  wisdom," — the  divine 
secret  for  an  understanding  heart.    First,  as  to  the  wonjan : 
"The  seven   heads  are  seven   mountains  on  which   the 
woman  sitteth."     Surely  there  need  not  be  much  doubt 
about  the  application  of  this;  although  some  would  apply 
it  to  a  new  Babylon  yet  to  be  built  on  the  Euphrates, 
and  others  would  make  the  interpreting  word  "mount- 
ains" to  be  still  a  figure  of  something  else.     They  might 
indeed  easily  build  Babylon  again,  that  is  merely  looking, 
at  things  from  a  human  stand-point ;  but  how  could  it  be  \ujj^ 
said  of  this  new  city  that  "in  her  was  found  the  blood  of! 
prophets  and  saints,  and  of  all  the  slain  upon  the  earth  "  ?  i 

That  Rome  was  the  seven-hilled  city  is  familiar  to  every  ^ 
school-boy;  and  its  being  a  "  geographical"  mark  need 
not  make  it  unsuited  to  be  one,  as  Lange  believes.     It 
makes  it  plain,  as  God  would  have  it  surely  for  His  saints 
whose  blood  it  would  shed,  and  who  would  need  the  com-  \ 


155  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

J  fort  of  knowing  that  He  was  against  tliis  "Mother  and 
Mistress  of  churches,"  with  all  her  effrontery  and  the 
I  crowd  that  followed  her, 

J  God  has  even,  if  one  might  say  so,  gone  out  of  the  way 
to  give  a  needed  plain  mark  of  identification.  For  it  is 
not  easy  as  a  symbol  to  understand  how  the  heads  of  the 
beast  should  be  the  seat  of  the  woman.  But  this  does  not 
make  it  harder  for  identification,  while  it  seems  to  illus- 
trate the  more  the  tender  thought  of  God  for  His  people, 
of  which  the  tokens  can  never  be  too  many,  and  in  a  place 
like  this,  of  what  special  value  ! 

But  the  heads  are  also  seven  kings, — consecutive,  not 
contemporaneous  rulers;  for  five  had  already  fallen,  one 
was,  and  another  was  yet  to  come,  only  to  exist  for  a 
short  time,  the  beast  himself  being  the  final  one.  Five 
forms  of  government  have  been  given  by  the  historians 
as  preceding  the  imperial  in  Rome,  this  last  being  evi- 
dently the  existing  one  in  the  apostle's  day,  "One  is" 
we  must  take  as  applying  to  the  apostle's  day ;  for  at  the 
time  of  the  vision  the  beast  itself  "  is  not,"  as  we  have 
seen.  The  only  other  time  present  would  be  the  time  in 
which  the  apostle  lived  himself. 
^  The  imperial  head  came  to  an  end  necessarily  when  the 
,  empire  as  a  whole  broke  up  under  the  attacks  of  the  bar- 
,  barians;  and  to  make,  as  Barnes  and  others  do,  the  exarch 
of  Ravenna  the  seventh  head  of  the  wor/ci-emp\ve  is  either 
to  overlook  the  plain  terms  of  the  prophecy,  or  else  to 
pervert  the  simple  facts  of  history.  The  exarchate  lasted 
about  two  hundred  years,  which  Barnes  considers  (com- 
paratively) but  a  "short  time  ;  "  and  the  papacy  he  con- 
siders the  eighth  head.  This  falls  with  the  exarchate; 
for  the  papacy  would  then  be  but  the  seventh,  and  nothing 
would  correspond. 

The  seventh  head  began,  according  to  Elliott,  when 
Diocletian,  already  emperor,  assumed  the  diadem, — the 
symbol  of  despotic  sovereignty  after  the  eastern  fashion; 
and  he  quotes  Gibbon's  words,  that,  "like  Augustus,  Dio- 


BABYLON    ANt)    HER    OVERTHROW.  189 

cletian  may  be  considered  the  founder  of  a  new  empire." 
But  if  this  were  the  seventh  head,  there  was  a  gap  be- 
tween it  and  the  papacy;  and  this  must  have  been  the 
time  when  the  beast  "was  not."  This  is  better  in  some 
respects  than.  Barnes,  and  may  be  really  an  anticipative 
fulfillment,  such  as  we  find  in  the  "  historical "  interpreta- 
tion generally.  But  it  fails  when  we  come  to  apply  it 
consistently  all  through,  as  where  Elliott  has  to  make  the 
burning  of  the  woman  with  fire  by  the  ten  horns  to  be 
merely  the  devastation  of  the  city  and  the  Campagna 
prior  to  their  giving  power  to  the  beast,  whereas  it  is 
really  effected  by  the  beast  and  the  horns  together,  and 
is  the  complete  end  of  the  ecclesiastical  system  which  the 
woman  represents.  It  would  be  manifestly  incongruous 
to  suppose  the  papacy  to  hate  and  consume  the  Roman 
Catholic  church.  -^ 

The  scheme  of  prophecy  involved  in  all  this,  if  taken 
as  a  whole,  would  destroy  entirely  the   interpretation  of 
Revelation  which  has  been  given  in  these  papers,  and  is 
negatived  by  all  the  considerations  that  substantiate  this.  • 
I   do   not  propose,   therefore,  to  go  more  fully  into  it.  ..^^    ^ 
When  the  papacy  ruled  the  empire,  it  had  ceased  to  be  J  '^ 
in  a  proper  sense,  the  empire,  and  then  it  was  that  accord-  ;§V*m 
ing  to  the  chapter  before  us,  the  beast  "was  not."     The 
true  bestial  character  could  not  co-exist  with  even  the 
profession  of  Christianity. 

Yhe  beast  is  necessarily,  therefore,  secular,  not  eccle- 
siastical. When  the  secular  empire  fell,  the  beast  was^ 
not;  though  in  that  contradictory  condition  the  woman 
might  ride  it.  Since  that  fall  there  has  been  no  revival, 
and  therefore  as  yet  no^ seventh  head.  The  seventh  head 
is  constituted  that,  as  I  believe,  by  the  union  of  ten  por- 
tions of  the  divided  territory  to  give  him  power;  and  the 
preponderance  of  Russia  in  Europe  might  easily  bring 
about  a  coalition  of  this  kind.  The  new  imperial  head 
lasts  but  a  short  time,  is  smitten  with  the  sword,  possibly 
degraded  to  the  condition  of  a  "  little  horn,"  is  revived 


190  *' THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

.  by  the  dreadful  power  of  Satan  acting  through  the  anti- 

'  christian  second  beast  of  the  thirteenth  chapter,  assumes 
the  blasphemous  character  in  vv^hicn  we  have  already  seen 
him,  and  thus  goes  into  perdition  at  the  appearing  of  the 

,  Lord. 

This  is  the  beast,  as  Revelation  contemplates  him  gen- 
erally, identified  with  the  eighth  head,  but  who  is  of  the 
seventh,  in  fact,  the  seventh,  which  had  the  wound  by  the 
sword,  yet  lived.  Thus  seen,  all  the  passages  seem  to 
harmonize, — a  harmony  which  is  the  main  argument  for 
the  truth  of  such  an  interpretation  of  them. 

*'  And  the  ten  horns  which  thou  sawest  are  ten  kings 
which  have  received  no  kingdom  as  yet,  but  they  receive 
authority  as  kings  one  hour  with  the  beast.  These  have 
one  mind,  and  give  their  power  and  authority  unto  the 
beast."  Alas  !  they  are  united  against  God  and  against 
His  Christ  :  "  These  shall  make  war  with  the  Lamb,  and 
the  Lamb  shall  overcome  them,  for  He  is  Lord  of  lords, 
and  King  of  kings  ;  and  they  that  are  with  Him,  called, 

.  and  chosen,  and  faithful." 

Here  we  have  anticipated  the  conflict  of  the  nineteenth 
chapter.  These  that  are  with  Christ  are  His  redeemed 
people,  as  is  plain.  Angels  might  be  "  chosen  and  faith- 
ful," but  only  meti  are  "called;"  and  when  He  comes 

'  forth  as  a  warrior  out  of  heaven,  they,  as  "  the  armies 
that  were  in  heaven,  follow  Him."    The  rod  of  iron  which 

*  He  has  Himself  is  given  to  His  people,  and  the  closing 
scene  in  the  conflict  with  evil  sees  them  in  active  and 
earnest  sympathy  with  Him. 

The  waters  where  the  harlot  sat  are  next  interpreted  as 
"  peoples  and  multitudes  and  nations  and  tongues."  With 
another  meaning  and  intent  than  where  it  is  spoken  of 
Israel,  "her  seed  is  in  many  waters."  Her  influence  is 
wide-reaching  and  powerful  ;  but  it  is  brought  to  an  end: 
"and  the  ten  horns  which  thou  sawest  and  the  beast ;" — 

I  so,  and  not  ''upon  the  beast,"  all  authorities  give  it  now — 

^  "these  shall  hate  the  harlot,  and  make  her  desolate  and 


BABYLON  AND  HKR  OVERTHROW.  iQt 

naked,  and  shall  eat  her  flesh,  and  burn  her  up  with  fire."! 
That  surely  is  not  a  temporary  infliction,  but  a  full  end  ;   |^<*y^ 
and  beast  and  horns  unite  in  it.     She  has  trampled  upon)  .    tl>^ 
men,  an^,  accordnig  to  the  law  of  divine  retribution,  it  isiY^^J^«' 
done  to  her.     This  has  been  partially  seen  many  times  in(  VA 
the  history  of  Rome,  and  the  end  of  the  last  century  was     )vX*/^ 
a  dreadful  warning  of  what  is  soon  to  come  more  terribly 
still  upon  her.    The  very  profession  of  Christianity  which 
she  in  time  past  used  for  purposes  of  gain  and  power 
over  men   will   no  doubt,   by  the  same  retributive  law, 
become  at  last  the  mill-stone  round  her  neck   forever. 
Arid  no  eye  will  pity  her.     For  it  is  God  who  has  "  put 
into  their  hearts  to  do  His  will,  and  to  come  to  one  mind, 
and  to  give  their  kingdom  to  the  beast,  until  the  words  of 
God  should  be  accomplished." 

How  good  to  know  amid  all  that  day  of  terror  that 
God  is  supreme  above  all,  hi  all,  the  devices  of  His  ene- 
mies !  Still  "  He  maketh  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise 
Him,  and  the  remainder  of  it  He  restraineth."  And  this 
is  the  time  which  will  most  fully  demonstrate  this.  It  is 
tlie  day  of  the  Lord  upon  all  the  pride  of  man  to  bring  it 
low.  It  is  the  day  when  every  refuge  of  lies  shall  be 
swept  away,  and  all  the  vanity  of  his  thoughts  shall  be 
exposed.  "The  idols  He  shall  utterly  abolish."  Yea, 
those  who  have  been  their  slaves  shall  fling  them  to  the 
moles  and  to  the  bats.  "And  the  Lord  alone  shall  be 
exalted  in  that  day."  Then  the  way  is  prepared  for 
blessing,  wide  in  proportion  to  the  judgment  which  has 
introduced  it. 

The   eighteenth    chapter    gives    the    judgment    from\ 
the    divine    side.      The    question    has    been    naturally/ 
raised,    Is    it    another    judgment?      There   is    nothing! 
here  about  beast  or  horns, — nothing  of  man's  intervention! 
at  all, — and  there  are  signs  apparently  of  another  and 
deeper  woe  than  human  hands  could  inflict.     It  is  thisj 
last  which  is  most  conclusive  in  the  way  of  argument,  and/ 
we  shall  examine  it  in  its  place. 


rga  ''things  that  shall  be.** 

Another  angel  descends  out  of  heaven,  having  great 
authority:  and  the  earth  is  lighted  v^^ith  his  glory.  Earth 
is  indeed  now  to  be  lighted,  and  with  a  glory  which  is  not 
]  of  earth.  Babylon  is  denounced  as  fallen, — not  destroyed, 
as  is  plain  by  what  follows,  but  given  up  to  a  condition 
which  is  a  spiritual  desolation,  worse  than  the  physical 
one  of  Babylon  of  old  under  which  she  has  long  lain,  and 
from  which  the  terms  seem  derived.  She  has  become  the 
dwelling-place  of  demons — "knowing  ones;"  Satan's 
underlings,  with  the  knowledge  of  many  centuries  of 
acquaintance  with  fallen  men,  and  serpent-craft  to  use 
their  knowledge;  a  "  hold  of  every  unclean  spirit,  and  a 
hold  of  every  unclean  and  hateful  bird."  The  parable  of 
the  mustard-seed  comes  necessarily  to  mind;  and  without 
confining  the  words  here  to  that,  it  is  amazing  to  see  how 
deliberately  filthy  and  impure  Rome's  system  is.  She 
binds  her  clergy  to  celibacy,  forces  them  to  pollute  their 
minds  with  the  study  of  every  kind  of  wickedness,  and 
then  by  her  confessional  system  teaches  them  to  pour 
this  out  into  the  minds  of  those  to  whom  she  at  once 
gives  them  access  and  power  over  them  in  the  name  of 
religion  itself ! 

What  has  brought  a  professing  Christian  body  into  so 
terrible  a  condition  as  this  bespeaks  ?  We  are  answered 
here  by  reference  once  more  to  her  spiritual  fornication 
with  the  nations  and  with  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  to 
the  profit  which  those  make,  who  engage  in  her  religious 
traffic.  As  worldly  power  is  before  all  things  her  aim, 
'  and  she  has  heaven  to  barter  in  return  for  it,  the  nations 
,  easily  fall  under  her  sway,  and  are  intoxicated  witk  the 
"wine  of  the  fury  " — the  madness — "of  her  fornication." 
First  of  all,  it  is  the  masses  at  which  she  aims,  and  only 
as  an  expedient  to  secure  these  the  better,  with  the  kings 
of  the  earth.  Thus  she  can  pose  as  democratic  among 
democrats,  and  as  the  protector  of  popular  rights  as 
against  princes.  In  feudal  times,  the  church  alone  could 
fuse  into  herself  all  conditions  of  men,  turning  the  true 


BABYLON    AND    HER    OVERTHROW.  I93 

and  free  equality  of  Christians  into  tliat  wiiich  linked  all 
together  into  vassalage  to  herself;  and  so  the  power  grew 
which  was  power  to  debase  herself  to  continually  greater 
depths  of  evil.  Simoniac  to  the  finger-ends,  with  her  it  is 
a  settled  thing  that  the  "gift  of  God  can  be  purchased 
with  money."  And  with  her  multiplicity  of  merchandise, 
which  is  put  here  in  catalogue,  there  will  naturally  be  an 
abundant  harvest  for  brokers.  With  these,  who  live  by 
her,  she  increases  her  ranks  of  zealous  followers. 

Another  voice  now  sounds  from  heaven, — "Come  forth 
from  her,  my  people,  that  ye  partake  not  of  her  sins,  and 
that  ye  receive  not  of  her  plagues ;  for  her  sins  have 
heaped  themselves  to  heaven,  and  God  hath  remembered 
her  unrighteousnesses." 

Even  in  Babylon,  and  thus  late,  therefore,  there  are 
those  in  her  who  are  the  people  of  God.     But  they  are; 
called  to  separation.     Rome  is  a  false  system  which  yet 
retains  what  is  saving  truth.     Souls  may  be  saved  in  it,, 
but  the  truth   it  holds  cannot  save  the  false  system  in 
which   it  is  found.     Truth  cannot  save  the   error  men' 
would  ally  with  it,  nor  error  destroy  the  truth.    There  are 
children  of  God,  alas!  that  "suffer  Jezebel,"  but  Jezebel's 
true  children  are  another  matter:  "I  will  kill  them  with 
death  "  is  God's  emphatic  word.     The  testing-time  comes 
when  the  roads  that  seemed  to  lie  together  are  found  to 
separate,   and  then  the  necessity  of   separation    comes. 
Truth  and  error  cannot  lead  to  the  same  place,  and  he 
that  pursues  the  road  to  the  end  will  find  what  is  at  the 
end. 

"Recompense  to  her  as  she  recompensed;  according 
to  her  works,  double  to  her  double :  as  she  hath  glori- 
fied herself,  and  lived  luxuriously,  so  much  torment 
and  sorrow  give  her.  For  she  said  in  her  heart,  I  sit  a 
queen,  and  am  no  widow,  and  shall  see  no  sorrow.  There- 
fore in  one  day  shall  her  plagues  come  on  her, — death 
and  sorrow  and  famine;  and  she  shall  be  burned  up  with 
fire:  for  strong  is  the  Lord  God  who  hath  judged  her." 


194  "THINGS   THAT    SHALL    BE." 

The  government  of  God  is  equal-handed,  and  for  it  the 
day  of  retribution  cannot  be  lacking.  "  God  hath  remem- 
bered" Babylon  at  last.  In  truth,  He  never  lost  sight  of 
her  for  a  moment.  But  the  wheels  of  His  chariot  seem 
often  slow  in  turning,  and  there  is  purpose  in  it  :  ''I  gave 
her  space  to  repent,"  He  says  pitifully:  but  pity  is  not 
weakness, — nay,  it  is  the  consciousness  of  strength  that 
may  make  one  slow.  There  is  no  possibility  of  escape. 
No  height  or  depth  can  hide  from  Him  the  object  of  His 
search: — no  greatness,  no  littleness.  The  day  of  reckon- 
ing comes  at  last,  and  not  an  item  will  be  dropped  from 
the  account. 

Then  follows  the  wail  of  the  kings  of  the  earth  for  her, 
while  they  stand  off  in  fear  for  the  calamity  that  is  come 
upon  her,  more  sentimental  than  the  selfish  cry  of  the 
merchants,  whose  business  with  regard  to  her  has  slipped 
out  of  their  hands.  And  then  comes  the  detail  of  it,  arti- 
cle by  article, — all  the  luxuries  of  life,  each  of  which  has 
its  price,  and  ending  with  "slaves,  and  souls  of  men."  If 
one  had  skill  to  run  through  the  catalogue  here,  he  would 
doubtless  find  that  each  had  its  meaning  ;  but  we  cannot 
attempt  this  now.  The  end  of  the  traffic  is  at  hand, 
and  the  Canaanite  is  to  be  cast  out  of  the  house  of  the 
Lord. 

The  lament  of  so  many  classes  shows  by  how  many 
links  Rome  has  attached  men  to  herself.  Her  vaunted 
unity  is  large  enough  to  include  the  most  various  adapta- 
tions to  the  character  of  men.  From  the  smoothest  and 
most  luxurious  life  to  the  hardest  and  most  ascetic,  she 
can  provide  for  all  grades,  and  leave  room  for  large  di- 
versities of  doctrine  also.  The  suppleness  of  Jesuitism 
is  only  that  of  her  trained  athletes,  and  the  elasticity  of 
its  ethics  is  only  that  of  the  subtlest,  ethereal  distillation 
of  her  spirit.  But  though  she  may  have  allurements  even 
for  the  people  of  God,  she  has  yet  no  link  with  heaven; 
and  while  men  are  lamenting  upon  earth,  heaven  is  bid- 
den to  rejoice  above,  because  God  is  judging  her  with  the 


BABYLON    AND    HER    OVERTHROW.  I95 

judgment  that  saints  and  apostles  and  prophets  have 
pronounced  upon  her. 

Finally,  and  reminding  us  of  the  prophetic  action  as  to 
her  prototype,  "a  strong  angel  took  up  a  great  mill-stone, 
and  cast  it  into  the  sea,  saying,  'Thus  with  a  mighty  fall 
shall  Babylon  the  great  city  be  cast  down,  and  shall  be 
found  no  more  at  all.'"  And  then  comes  the  extreme 
announcement  of  her  desolation.  Not  merely  shall  her 
merchandise  be  no  more,  there  shall  be  no  sign  of  life  at 
all, — no  pleasant  sound,  no  mechanic's  craft,  no  menial 
work,  no  light  of  lamp,  no  voice  of  bridegroom  or  of 
bride;  and  then  the  reason  of  her  doom  is  again  given  : 
"For  thy  merchants  were  the  princes  of  the  earth;  for 
with  thy  sorcery  were  all  nations  deceived.  And  in  her 
was  found  the  blood  of  prophets  and  of  saints,  and  of  all 
that  have  been  slain  upon  the  earth." 

Interpretation  is  hardly  needed  in  all  this.  The  detail 
of  judgment  seems  intended  rather  to  fix  the  attention 
and  give  us  serious  consideration  of  what  God  judges  at 
last  in  this  unsparing  way.  Surely  it  is  needed  now,  when 
Christian  men  are  being  taken  with  the  wiles  of  one  who 
in  a  day  of  conflict  and  uncertainty  can  hold  out  to  them 
a  rest  which  is  not  Christ's  rest;  who  in  the  midst  of  de- 
fection from  the  faith  can  be  the  champion  of  orthodoxy 
while  shutting  up  the  word  of  life  from  men;  who  can  be 
all  things  to  all  men,  not  to  save,  but  to  destroy  them  :  at 
such  a  time,  how  great  a  need  is  there  for  pondering  her 
doom  as  the  word  of  prophecy  declares  it,  and  the  joy  of 
heaven  over  the  downfall  of  the  sorceress  at  last. 

Heaven  indeed  is  full  of  joy  and  gratulation  and  wor- 
ship :  "After  these  things,  I  heard  as  it  were  a  great  voice 
of  a  great  multitude  in  heaven,  saying,  '  Halleluiah  !  sal- 
vation and  honor  and  glory  and  power  belong  to  our 
God  ;  for  true  and  righteous  are  his  judgments ;  for  He 
hath  judged  the  great  harlot  which  did  corrupt  the  earth 
with  her  fornication,  and  hath  avenged  the  blood  of  his 
servants  at  her  hand.'      And   a  second   time  they  say, 


196  *' THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

'  Halleluiah  ! '  And  her  smoke  goeth  up  forever  and  ever. 
And  the  four  and  twenty  elders  fell  down  and  worshiped 
God,  saying,  'Amen  :  halleluiah  ! '  " 

We  may  now  briefly  discuss  the  question  of  how  far 
there  is  indication  here  of  a  divine  judgment,  apart  from 
what  is  inflicted  by  the  wild  beast  and  its  horns.  These, 
we  have  read,  "  shall  hate  the  harlot,  and  shall  make  her 
desolate  and  naked,  and  eat  her  flesh,  and  burn  her  up 
with  fire."  In  the  present  chapter,  we  have  again,  "And 
she  shall  be  burned  up  with  fire;  for  strong  is  the  Lord 
God  who  hath  judged  her."  The  kings  of  the  earth  "wail 
over  her  when  they  look  upon  the  smoke  of  her  burning, 
standing  afar  off  for  the  fear  of  her  torment."  And  so 
with  the  merchants  and  the  mariners.  And  finally  we 
read,  "Her  smoke  goeth  up  forever  and  ever."  Nothing 
in  all  this  forces  us  to  think  of  a  special  divine  judgment 
outside  of  what  is  inflicted  by  human  instruments,  except 
the  last.  The  last  statement,  I  judge,  does.  It  cannot 
but  recall  to  our  minds  what  is  said  of  the  worshipers  of 
the  beast  and  false  prophet  in  the  fourteenth  chapter, 
where  the  same  words  are  used  ;  but  this  is  not  a  judg- 
ment on  earth  at  all :  could  indeed  "her  smoke  goeth  up 
forever  and  ever"  be  said  of  any  earthly  judgment?  The 
words  used  are  such  as  imply  strict  eternity:  no  earthly 
judgment  can  endure  in  this  way;  and  the  language  does 
not  permit  the  idea  that  the  persistency  is  only  that  of  the 
effects.  No,  it  is  eternity  ratifying  the  judgment  of  time, 
as  it  surely  will  do ;  and  it  is  only  when  we  have  taken 
our  place,  as  it  were,  amid  the  throng  in  heaven,  that  this 
is  seen. 

But  thus,  then,  we  seem  to  have  here  no  positive  dec- 
laration of  any  judgment  of  Babylon  on  earth,  save  by 
the  hands  of  the  last  head  of  western  empire  and  his 
kings.  Yet  the  eighteenth  chapter,  we  have  still  to  re- 
member, says  nothing  of  these  kings:  all  is  from  God 
absolutely,  and  at  least  they  are  not  considered.  It  has 
been  also  suggested  that  it  is  the  "city"  rather  than  the 


BABYLON    AND    HER    OVERTHROW.  I97 

woman  (the  ecclesiastical  system)  that  is  before  us  in  this 
chapter;  but  much  cannot  be  insisted  on  as  to  this,  seeing 
that  the  identification  of  the  woman  with  the  city  is  plainly 
stated  in  the  last  verse  of  the  previous  one,  and  also  that 
the  terms  even  here  suppose  their  identity. 

On  the  other  side,  there  is  in  fact  no  absolute  identity; 
nor  is  it  difficult  to  think  of  the  destruction  of  the  religious 
system  without  its  involving  at  all  that  of  the  city;  nor, 
again,  would  one  even  suppose  that  the  imperial  head, 
with  his  subordinates,  would  utterly  destroy  the  ancient 
seat  of  his  own  empire.  Here  a  divine  judgment,  strictly 
and  only  that,  taking  up  and  enforcing  the  human  one  as 
of  God,  becomes  at  least  a  natural  thought,  and  worthy 
of  consideration. 

Outside  of  the  book  of  Revelation,  Scripture  is  in  full 
harmony  with  this.  The  millennial  earth,  as  we  may  have 
occasion  to  see  again,  when  we  come  to  speak  more  of  it, 
is  certainly  to  have  witnesses  of  this  kind  to  the  righteous 
judgment  of  God  upon  the  objects  of  it.  In  it,  as  it  were, 
heaven  and  hell  are  both  to  be  represented  before  the 
eyes  of  men,  that  they  may  be  fully  warned  of  the  wrath 
to  come.  During  the  present  time,  it  is  objected,  there  is 
not  sufficient  witness;  in  the  millennium,  therefore,  there 
shall  be  no  room  left  for  doubt.  Therefore  while  the 
cloud  and  fire  rest  as  of  old,  but  with  wider  stretch,  as  of 
sheltering  wings,  over  Jerusalem  (Isa.  iv.  5,  6;  comp. 
Matt,  xxiii.  37),  we  have,  on  the  other  side,  the  open  wit- 
ness of  the  judgment  upon  transgressors  which  the  Lord 
Himself  renders  as  a  type  of  the  deeper  judgment  beyond. 
(Isa.  Ixvi.  23,  24,  comp.  Mark  ix.) 

Beside  this,  Edom  remains  desolate,  and,  to  come  near 
to  what  is  before  us,  Babylon  also.  (Isa.  xiii.  20;  xxxiv. 
9,  10.)  How  suitable  that  Rome,  the  seat  of  a  power  far 
worse  and  of  far  longer  continuance  should  be  so  visited  ! 
Such  a  judgment  would  fill  out  the  prophecy  most  fully 
and  exactly.  What  a  picture  of  eternal  judgment  is  that 
of  Idumea,  in  that  "year  of  recompenses  for  the  contro- 


198  *' THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

versy  of  Zion  "  !  ''And  the  streams  thereof  shall  be  turned 
into  pitch,  and  the  dust  thereof  into  brimstone,  and  the 
land  thereof  shall  become  burning  pitch.  It  shall  not  be 
quenched  night  nor  day;  the  smoke  thereof  shall  go  up 
forever."  Rome  is  the  great  Edom  as  it  is  the  great 
Babylon,  and  it  would  be  really  strange  if  there  were  not 
to  be  in  her  case  a  similar  recompense.  Barnes  quotes 
from  a  traveler  in  Italy  in  1850  what  is  only  a  striking 
confirmation  of  the  story  told  by  all  who  with  eyes  open 
have  visited  the  country:  "I  behold  everywhere,  in  Rome, 
near  Rome,  and  through  the  whole  region  from  Rome  to 
Naples,  the  most  astounding  proofs,  not  merely  of  the 
possibility,  but  the  probability,  that  the  whole  region  of 
central  Italy  will  one  day  be  destroyed  by  such  a  catas- 
trophe. The  soil  of  Rome  is  tufa,  with  a  volcanic  sub- 
terranean action  going  on.  At  Naples,  the  boiling  sulphur 
is  to  be  seen  bubbling  near  the  surface  of  the  earth.  When 
I  drew  a  stick  along  the  ground,  the  sulphurous  smoke 
followed  the  indentation.  .  .  .  The  entire  country  and 
district  is  volcanic.  It  is  saturated  with  beds  of  sulphur 
and  the  substrata  of  destruction.  It  seems  as  certainly 
prepared  for  the  flames  as  the  wood  and  coal  on  the 
hearth  are  prepared  for  the  taper  which  shall  kindle  the 
fire  to  consume  them.  The  divine  hand  alone  seems  to 
me  to  hold  the  fire  in  check  by  a  miracle  as  great  as  that 
which  protected  the  cities  of  the  plain  till  the  righteous 
Lot  had  made  his  escape  to  the  mountains." 

That  Rome's  doom  will  be  as  thus  indicated,  we  may 
well  believe.  And  it  is  in  awful  suitability  that  she  that 
has  kindled  so  often  the  fire  for  God's  saints  should  thus 
be  herself  a  monumental  fire  of  His  vengeance  in  the  day 
in  which  He  visits  for  these  things ! 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  1 99       ^ 

PART  VII.  (Chap.  xix.  5-xxii.) 
THE   CONSUMMATION. 


The  Marriage  of  the  Lamb.  (Chap.  xix.  5-10.) 

THE  harlot  is  now  judged.  The  judgment  of  the 
whole  earth  is  at  hand.  Before  it  comes,  we  are 
permitted  a  brief  vision  of  heavenly  things,  and  to 
see  the  heirs  of  the  kingdom  now  ready  to  be  established 
in  their  place  with  Him  who  is  about  to  be  revealed.  A 
voice  sounds  from  the  throne  :  "Give  praise  to  our  God, 
all  ye  His  servants, — ye  that  fear  Him,  small  and  great." 
It  is  not,  of  course,  a  simple  exhortation  to  what  in  heaven 
can  need  no  prompting,  but  a  preparation  of  hearts  for 
that  which  shall  furnish  fresh  material  for  it.  The  re- 
sponse of  the  multitude  shows  what  it  is  :  "  Halleluiah  ! 
for  the  Lord  our  God,  the  Almighty,  reigneth."  The 
power  that  was  always  His  He  is  now  going  to  put  forth. 
Judgment  is  to  return  to  righteousness.  Man's  day  is  at 
an  end,  with  all  the  confusion  that  his  will  has  wrought. 
The  day  of  the  Lord  is  come,  to  abase  that  which  is  high 
and  exalt  that  which  is  low,  and  restore  the  foundations 
of  truth  and  righteousness. 

The  false  church  that  would  have  antedated  the  day  of 
power,  and  reigned  without  her  Lord,  has  been  already 
dealt  with  ;  and  now  the  way  is  clear  to  display  the  true 
Bride.  *'  The  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and  His 
wife  hath  made  herself  ready."  But  the  Church  has  been  \ 
some  time  since  caught  up  to  meet  the  Lord  :  how  is  it  ^ 
that  only  now  she  is  "ready"  ?  In  the  application  of  the 
blood  of  Christ,  and  the  reception  of  the  best  robe,  fit  for 
the  Father's  house  assuredly,  if  any  could  be,  she  was  then 
quite  ready.  Likeness  to  her  Lord  was  completed  when 
the  glorified  bodies  of  the  saints  were  assumed,  and  they    J 


200  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE.'* 

were  caught  up  to  meet  Him  in  the  air.  The  eyes  from 
which  nothing  could  be  hid  have  already  looked  upon  her, 
and   pronounced  her  faultless:   "Thou  art  all  fair,  My 

■  love  :  there  is  no  spot  in  thee."  What,  then,  can  be  want- 
ing to  hinder  the  marriage?     A  matter  of  divine  govern- 

'  ment,  not  of  divine  acceptance  ;  and  this  is  the  book  of 
divine  government.     Earth's  story  has  to  be  rehearsed, 
the  account  given,  the  verdict  rendered,- as  to  all  "deeds 
done  in  the  body."     Every  question  that  could  be  raised 
must  find  its  settlement :  the  light  must  penetrate  through 
and  through,  and  leave  no  part  dark.     We  must  enter 
eternity  with  lessons  all  learnt,  and  God  fully  glorified 
about  the  whole  course  of  our  history. 
J     f     What  follows  explains  fully  this  matter  of  readiness  : 
\>J^y\^^'  And  it  was  given  unto  her  that  she  should  array  herself 
'  » '^      in  fine  linen,  bright  and  pure;    for  the  fine  linen  is  the 
yf^      Righteous  acts  of  the  saints."    We  see  by  the  language  that 
Oi   /it  is  grace  that  is  manifest  in  this  award.     We  learn  by  a 
\^^    Uy  verse  in  the  last  chapter  ho7v  grace  has  manifested  itself: 
\       \j^  *'  Blessed  are  they  that  have  washed  their  robes  (R.  V.),  that 
L  y*^         they  might  have  right  to  the  tree  of  life,  and  enter  in 
through  the  gates  into  the  city."     But  what  could  wash 
deeds  already  done  ?     Plainly  no  reformation,  no  "  water- 
washing  by  the  Word."  (Eph.  v.  26.)      The  deed   done 
cannot  be  undone  ;  and  no  well-doing  for  the  future  can 
blot  out  the  record  of  it.      What,  then,  can  wash  such 
garments  ?    Revelation  itself,  though  speaking  of  another 
company,  has  already  given  us  the  knowledge  of  this: 
;  "They  have  washed  their  robes,  and  made  them  white  tn 

■  the  blood  of  the  Lamb''  (Chap.  vii.  14.)  Thus  the  value 
of  that  precious  blood  is  found  with  us  to  the  end  of  time, 
and  in  how  many  ways  of  various  blessing  ! 

It  is  not,  then,  the  best  robe  for  the  Father's  house  : 
that  robe  never  needs  washing.  It  is  for  the  kingdom, 
for  the  world,  in  the  governmental  ways  of  God  with  men, 
that  this  fine  linen  is  granted  to  the  saints.  Yet  they  take 
their  place  in  it  at  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb;  for 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  20  I 

Christ's  love  it  is  that  satisfies  itself  with  the  recognition 
and  reward  of  all  that  has  been  done  for  love  of  Him. 
This  is  what  finds  reward;  and  thus  the  hireling  principle 
is  set  aside. 

"And  he  saith  unto  me,  'Write,  Blessed  are  they  that 
are  bidden  to  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb.'" 
Blessed .  indeed  are  they  that  are  bidden  now!  Alas! 
they  may  despise  the  invitation.  But  how  blessed  are 
they  who,  when  that  day  comes,  are  found  among  the 
bidden  ones  !  I  leave  for  the  present  the  question  of  who 
exactly  make  up  the  company  of  those  that  form  the  Bride; 
but  the  Bride  assuredly  sits  at  the  marriage  supper,  and 
the  plural  here  is  what  one  could  alone  expect  in  such  an 
exclamation  as  this.  There  seems,  therefore,  no  ground 
in  such  an  expression  for  distinguishing  separate  com- 
panies as  the  Bride  and  the  **  friends  of  the  Bridegroom." 
The  latter  expression  is  used  by  the  Baptist  in  a  very 
different  application,  as  assuredly  he  had  no  thought  of 
any  bride  save  Israel. 

"  And  he  saith  unto  me,  '  These  are  the  true  words  of 
God.' "  Of  such  blessedness,  it  would  seem,  even  the 
heart  of  the  apostle  needed  confirmation.  Then,  as  if 
overcome  by  the  rapture  of  the  vision,  "  I  fell  down  at  his 
feet,"  says  John,  "to  worship  him.  And  he  saith  unto 
me,  'See  thou  do  it  not:  I  am- a  fellow-servant  with  thee 
and  with  thy  brethren  that  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus  : 
worship  God  :  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of 
prophecy.'  " 

All  prophecy  owns  thus  and  honors  Jesus  as  its  subject. 
All  that  own  Him,  the  highest  only  the  most  earnestly, 
refuse  other  honor  than  that  of  being  servants  together 
of  His  will  and  grace.  Hov/  our  hearts  need  to  be  en- 
larged to  take  in  His  supreme  glory  !  and  how  ready  are 
we  in  some  way,  if  not  in  this,  to  share  the  glory  which  is 
His  alone  with  some  creature  merely  !  Rome's  coarse 
forms  of  worship  to  saints  and  angels  is  only  a  grosser 
form  of  what  we  are  often  doing,  and  for  which  rebuke 


202  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

will  in  some  way  come  ;  for  God  is  jealous  of  any  impair- 
ment of  His  rights,  and  we  of  necessity  put  ourselves  in 
opposition  to  the  whole  course  of  nature  as  we  derogate 
from  these.   "  Little  children,  keep  yourselves  from  idols." 

Judgment  of  the  Living  at  the  Appearing  of 
Christ.  (Chap.  xix.  11-21.) 

The  prophecy  pauses  not  further  now  to  dilate  upon  the 
blessing.  There  is  needed  work  to  be  done  before  we 
can  enter  upon  this;  and  the  work  is  the  *' strange  work" 
of  judgment.  The  vision  that  follows  is  as  simple  as  can 
be  to  understand,  if  there  are  no  thoughts  of  our  own 
previously  in  the  mind  to  obscure  and  make  it  difficult. 
And  this  is  the  way  in  which  constantly  Scripture  is 
obscured. 

Revelation,  as  the  closing  book  of  the  inspired  Word, 
supposes  indeed  acquaintance  with  what  has  preceded  it, 
and  the  links  with  other  prophecy  are  here  especially 
abundant.  The  kingdom  of  Christ  is  the  final  theme  of 
the  Old  Testament,  upon  which  all  prophetic  lines  con- 
verge; and  the  judgment  which  introduces  it  is  over  and 
over  again  set  before  us.  The  appearing  of  the  Lord, 
and  His  personal  presence  to  execute  this,  are  also  so  in- 
sisted on,  that  nothing  but  the  infatuation  of  other  hopes 
could  prevail  to  hide  it  from  men's  eyes.  In  the  New 
Testament,  the  same  things  face  us  continually.  As  we 
are  not  considering  it  for  the  first  time  here,  it  will  be 
sufficient  to  examine  what  is  in  the  passage  before  us, 
with  whatever  connection  it  may  have  with  other  scrip- 
tures, needful  to  bring  out  fully  the  meaning  of  it. 

Heaven  is  seen  opened,  the  prophet's  stand-point  being 
therefore  now  on  earth,  and  a  white  horse  appears,  the 
familiar  figure  of  war  and  victory.  It  is  upon  the  Rider 
that  our  eyes  are  fixed.  He  is  called  "  Faithful  and  True  " 
— known  manifestly  to  be  that — and  in  righteousness  He 
judges  and  wars :  His  warring  is  but  itself  a  judgment. 
For  this,  His  eyes  penetrate  as  a  flame  of  fire ;  nothing 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  203 

escapes  them.  Many  diadems — the  sign  of  absolute  au- 
thority— are  on  His  head.  And  worthily,  for  His  name 
in  its  full  reality — name  expressing  (as  always  in  Scrip- 
ture) nature — is  an  incommunicable  one,  beyond  the 
knowledge  of  finite  creatures.  But  His  vesture  is  dipped 
in  blood,  for  already  many  enemies  have  fallen  before 
Him,  And  His  name  is  called — has  been  and  is,  as  the 
language  implies, — "The  Word  of  God."  The  gospel 
of  John  shows  us  that  in  creation  already  He  was  acting 
as  that ;  and  now  in  judgment  He  is  no  less  so. 

Is  this  revealed  name  any  thing  else  than  His  incom- 
municable one?  It  would  seem  not.  The  thought  would 
appear  to  be  in  direct  refutation  of  the  skeptical  denial  of 
the  knowledge  of  the  Infinite  One  as  possible  to  man. 
We  cannot  know  infinity,  but  we  can  know  the  One  who 
is  infinite, — yea,  know  Him  to  be  infinite :  know  His 
name,  and  not  know  His  name.  The  Infinite  One,  more- 
over, Christ  is  declared  here  to  be, — no  inferior  God,  but 
the  Highest. 

In  the  power  of  this.  He  now  comes  forth ;  the  armies 
that  are  in  heaven  following  their  white-horsed  Leader, 
themselves  also  upon  white  horses,  sharers  with  Him  in 
the  conflict  and  the  victory,  clothed  in  fine  linen,  white 
and  pure.  It  is  this  fine  linen  which  we  have  just  seen  as 
granted  to  the  Bride,  and  which  needed  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb  to  make  it  white.  It  is  therefore  undoubtedly  the 
same  company  here  as  there,  only  here  seen  in  a  new  as- 
pect, even  as  the  Lord  Himself  is  seen  in  a  new  one.  It 
is  communion  with  Himself  that  is  implied  in  this  change 
of  character.  What  He  is  occupied  with,  they  are  occu- 
pied with;  what  is  His  mind  is  their  mind:  so,  blessed  be 
God,  it  will  be  entirely  then.  None  then  will  be  ignorant 
of  His  will ;  none  indifferent  or  half-hearted  as  to  it. 
Alas  !  now  to  how  much  of  it  are  even  the  many  willingly 
strangers  !  and  it  is  this  willing  ignorance  that  is  so  in- 
vincible :  for  all  else  there  is  a  perfect  remedy  in  the 
Word  of  God;  but  what  for  a  back  turned  upon  that  Word  ? 


204  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

The  Lord  comes  then,  and  all  the  saints  with  Him. 
How  impossible  to  think  of  a  providential  coming  merely 
here  !  "When  Christ,  who  is  our  Life,  shall  appear,"  says 
the  apostle,  "then  shall  ye  also  appear  with  Him  in  glory" 
^  (Col.  iii.  4.)  "Know  ye  not  that  the  saints  shall  judge 
the  world?"  he  asks  elsewhere.  Judgment  is  now  im- 
pending :  "  out  of  His  mouth  goeth  a  sharp  sword,  that 
with  it  He  may  smite  the  nations."  So  Isaiah  :  "  He 
shall  smite  the  earth  with  the  rod  of  His  mouth,  and  with 
the  breath  of  His  lips  shall  He  slay  the  wicked."  (Chap, 
xi.  4.)  It  needs  but  a  word  from  Him  to  cause  their  de- 
struction ;  while  it  is  judgment  no  less  according  to  His 
Word  :  it  is  that  long  and  oft  threatened,  slow  to  come, 
but  at  last  coming  in  the  full  measure  of  the  denuncia- 
tion.    Patience  is  not  repentance. 

"And  He  shall  rule  them  with  an  iron  rod" — "shep- 
herd "  them,  to  use  a  scarcely  English  expression.     This 
is,  of  course,  the  fulfillment  of  the  prophecy  of  the  second 
y   w"      psalm,  and  decides  against  the  still  retained  " break  them " 
v*j5#*    of  the  Revised  Version.     It  is  the  shepherd's  rod — this 
/y\^  rod  of  iron,  used  in  behalf  of  the  flock  :  as  He  says  in 
^ .  \r      Isaiah  again,  "  The  day  of  vengeance  is  in  My  heart,  and 
!^  "^         the  year  of  My  redeemed  is  come  ;   and  I  looked,  and 
there  was  none  to  help,  and  I  wondered  that  there  was 
none  to  uphold  :  therefore  Mine  own  arm  brought  salva- 
tion unto  Me,  and  My  fury,  it  upheld  Me."  (Chap.  Ixiii. 
4,  5.)      This    is   distinctly   in    answer   to    the   question, 
"  Wherefore  art  Thou   red  in  Thine  apparel,    and  Thy 
garments  like  him  that  treadeth  in  the  wine-fat?"  and  to 
which  He  answers,  "  I  have  trodden  the  wine-press  alone." 
Here  also  "  He  treadeth  the  wine-press  of  the  fierceness 
J  and  wrath  of  Almighty  God." 

'  Would  it  be  believed  that  commentators  have  referred 
this  to  the  cross,  and  the  Lord's  own  sufferings  there? 
And  yet  it  is  so ;  though  the  iron  rod,  with  which  the 
treading  of  the  wine-press  is  associated  in  this  place,  is 
something  that  is  promised  to  the  overcomer  in  Thyatira 


THE    CONSUMMATION. 


205 


(chap.  ii.  27) — "  To  him  will  I  give  power  over  the  nations, ' 
and  he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron,  even  as  I  re- 
ceived  of  My  Father."   We  have  but  with  an  honest  mind 
to  put  a  few  texts  together  after  this  manner,  and  all 
difficulty  disappears.  J 

"And  He  hath  on  His  vesture  and  on  His  thigh  a  name 
written — 'King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords." 

Now,  in  terrible  contrast  to  the  invitation  lately  given 
to  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb,  an  angel  standing  in 
the  sun  bids  the  birds  of  the  heaven  to  the  "great  supper 
of  God,"  to  feast  upon  earth's  proudest  and  all  their  fol- 
lowing. Immediately  after  which  the  beast  and  the  kings 
of  the  earth  and  their  armies  are  seen  gathered  together 
to  make  war  against  Him  who  sits  upon  the  horse,  and 
against  His  army.  We  are  no  doubt  to  interpret  this  ac- 
cording to  the  Lord's  words  to  Saul  of  Tarsus, — "Saul, 
Saul,  why  persecutes!  thou  Me  ? "  But  we  have  seen  the 
idol  thrust  into  Jehovah's  temple,  and  know  well  that 
Israel's  persecutors  rage  openly  against  Israel's  God. 
They  are  taken  thus  banded  in  rebellion,  and  judgment 
sweeps  them  down  ;  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  that 
wrought  miracles  before  him  (the  antichristian  second 
beast  of  the  thirteenth  chapter)  being  exempted  from  the 
common  death,  only  to  be  cast  alive  into  a  lake  of  fire 
burning  with  brimstone,  where  at  the  end  of  the  thousand 
years  of  the  saints'  reign  with  Christ  we  find  them  still. 

The  vision  is  so  clear  in  meaning,  that  it  really  has  no 
need  of  an  interpreter;  and  we  should  remember  this  as 
to  a  vision,  that  it  is  not  necessarily  even  symbolic,  though 
symbols  may  have  their  place  in  it,  as  here  with  the  white 
horses  of  that  before  us,  while  the  horses  whose  flesh  the 
birds  eat  are  not  at  all  so.  The  "beast  and  the  kings  of 
the  earth"  furnish  us  with  the  same  juxta-position  of 
figure  and  fact,  the  figure  not  at  all  hindering  the  general 
literality  of  fact.  In  these  prophecies  of  coming  judg- 
ment, the  mercy  of  God  would  not  permit  too  thick  a  vail 
over  the  solemn  truth.     This  is  the  end  to  which  the 


2o6  "things  that  shall  be." 

world  is  hastening  now,  and  God  is  proportionally  taking 
off  the  vail  from  the  eyes  upon  which  it  has  been  lying, 
that  there  may  be  a  more  urgent  note  of  warning  given 
as  it  draws  nigh.  "Who  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him 
hear ! " 

The  Restraint  upon  Satan.  (Chap.  xx.  1-3.) 

The  judgment  upon  living  men  is  followed  by  that 
upon  Satan  their  prince,  though  not  yet  is  it  final 
judgment.  This  partial  dealing  with  the  great  de- 
ceiver means  that  the  end  of  man's  trial  is  not  even  yet 
reached.  He  is  shut  up  in  the  abyss,  or  bottomless  pit, 
of  which  we  have  read  before,  out  not  in  hell  (the  lake  of 
fire).  As  restraint,  it  is  complete  :  and  with  the  devil,  the 
host  of  fallen  angels  following  him  share  his  sentence. 
This  is  not  merely  an  inference,  however  legitimate. 
Isaiah  has  long  before  anticipated  what  is  here  (chap, 
xxiv.  21-23):  "And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day  that 
the  Lord  shall  punish  the  host  of  the  high  ones  on  high, 
and  the  kings  of  the  earth  upon  the  earth.  And  they 
shall  be  gathered  together  as  prisoners  are  gathered  in 
the  pit,  and  shall  be  shut  up  in  the  prison,  and  after  many 
days  they  shall  be  visited.  Then  the  moon  shall  be  con- 
founded and  the  sun  ashamed;  for  the  Lord  of  Hosts 
shall  reign  in  Mount  Zion,  and  in  Jerusalem,  aud  before 
His  ancients  gloriously," 

Here  the  contemporaneous  judgment  of  men  and 
angels  at  the  beginning  of  the  millennium  is  clearly  re- 
vealed, and  just  as  clearly,  that  it  is  not  yet  final.  The 
vision  in  Revelation  is  also  clear.  The  descent  of  the 
angel  with  the  key  and  chain  certainly  need  not  obscure 
the  meaning.  Nor  could  the  shutting  up  of  Satan  mean 
any  thing  less  than  the  stoppage  of  all  temptation  for  the 
time  indicated.  The  "dragon,"  too,  is  the  symbol  for 
the  explanation  of  which  we  are  (as  in  the  twelfth  chap- 
ter,) referred  to  Eden,  "the  ancient  serpent,"  and  then 
are  told  plainly,  "who  is  the  devil  and  Satan."     It  is  sim- 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  207 

ply  inexcusable  to  make  the  interpretation  of  the  symbol 
still  symbolic,  and  to  make  the  greater  stand  for  the  less 
— Satan  the  symbol  of  an  earthly  empire  or  any  thing  of 
the  sort.     What   plainer  words   could   be  used?    which 
Isaiah's  witness  also  abundantly  confirms.    God  has  been  ] 
pleased  to  remove  all  vail  from  His  words  here,  and  it! 
does  look  as  if  only  willful  perversity  could  misunder- 1 
stand  His  speech. 

That  after  all  this  he  is  to  be  let  out  to  deceive  the  na- 
tions is  no  doubt  at  first  sight  hard  to  understand.     It  is       \    . 
all   right  to  inquire  reverently  why  it  should  be;    and  b^^ 
Scripture,  if  we  have  learnt  Peter's  way  of  putting  it  to-         , 
gether, — no  prophecy  to  be  interpreted  as  apart  from  the  ; 
general  body  of  prophecy, — will  give  us  satisfactory,  if 
sofemn,  answer.     The  fact  is  revealed,  if  we  could  give 
no  reason  for  it.     Who  are  we  to  judge  God's  ways?  and 
and  with  which  of  us  must  He  take  counsel?     It  should 
be  plain  that  for  a  thousand  years  Satan's  temptations 
cease  upon  the  earth;   and  then  they  are  renewed  and 
successful,  the  nations  are  once  more  deceived. 

What  makes  it  so  difficult  to  understand  is  that  many 
have  a  false  idea  of  the  millennial  age,  as  if  it    were  Vv^*^ 
"  righteousness  dwelling'''  on  the  earth  instead  of  "  right-  ^       fct 
eousness  reigning''  over  it.     It  is  said  indeed  of  Israel,  ^S 
after  they  are  brought  to  God  nationally,  "My  people    ^       ^ 
shall  be  all  righteous"  (Is.  Ix.  21);   but  that  is  not  the 
general    condition.      The    eighteenth    psalm,    speaking 
prophetically  of  that  time,  declares,  "The  strangers  shall 
submit  themselves  unto  Me,"  which    in   the    margin    isj 
given  as  "lie,"  or  "yield  feigned  obedience."    They  sub-( 
mit  to  superior  power,  notTnTreart;  and  so  it  is  added, 
"  The  strangers  shall  fade  away,  and  be  afraid  out  of  their 
close   places."   (Comp.  Ixvi.  3;  Ixxxi.  15.)      And    Isaiah, 
speaking  of  the  long  length  of  years,  says,  "The  child 
shall  die  a  hundred  years  old,"  but  adds,  "and  the  sinner 
being  a  hundred  years  old  shall  be  accursed."  (Ixv.  20.) 
So  Zechariah  pronounces  the  punishment  of  those  who 


2o8  "things  that  shall  be." 

do  not  come  up  to  Jerusalem  to  worship  the  glorious 
King  (xiv.  17), 

The  millennium  is  not  eternal  blessedness;  it  is  not  the 
Sabbath,  to  which  so  many  would  compare  it.  It  answers 
rather  to  the  sixth  day  than  the  seventh, — to  the  day 
when  the  man  and  woman  (types  of  Christ  and  the  Church) 
are  set  over  the  other  creatures.  The  seventh  is  the  type 
of  the  rest  of  God,  which  is  the  only  true  rest  of  the 
people  of  God  (Heb.  iv.  9).  The  millennium  is  the  last 
period  of  man's  trial,  and  that  is  not  rest :  trial  in  circum- 
stances the  best  that  could  be  imagined,  righteousness 
reigning,  the  course  of  the  world  changed,  heaven  open 
overhead,  the  earth  filled  with  the  knowledge  of  the  glory 
of  God,  the  history  of  past  judgment  to  admonish  for  the 
future;  the  question  will  then  be  fully  answered,  whether 
sin  is  the  mere  fruit  of  ignorance,  bad  government,  or  any 
of  the  accidents  of  life  to  which  it  is  so  constantly  im- 
puted. Alas  !  the  issue,  after  a  thousand  years  of  bless-  \ 
ing,  when  Satan  is  loosed  out  of  his  prison,  will  make  all  ; 
plain;  the  last  lesson  as  to  man  will  only  then  be  fully  ' 
learned. 

The  Resurrection  and  Reign  of  the  Saints. 

(Chap,  XX.  4-6.) 

And  now  we  have  what  requires  more  knowledge  of  the 
Word  to  understand  it  rightly;  and  here,  more  distinctly 
than  before,  there  are  vision  and  the  interpretation  of  the 
vision,  so  that  we  will  be  inexcusable  if  we  confound  them. 
The  vision  is  of  thrones,  and  people  sitting  on  them, 
judgment  (that  is,  rule)  being  put  into  their  hands.  ''  The 
souls  of  those  beheaded  for  the  witness  of  Jesus  and  the 
word  of  God  "  are  another  company  separate  from  these, 
but  now  associated  with  them;  and  ''those  who  have  not 
worshiped  the  beast"  seem  to  be  still  another.  All  these 
live  and  reign  with  Christ  a  thousand  years,  and  the  rest 
of  the  dead  do  not  live  till  the  thousand  years  are  ended. 
That  is  the  vision.    The  interpretation  follows  :  "  This," 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  209 

we  are  told,  "is  the  first  resurrection;"  and  that  "blessed 
and  holy  is  he  who  hath  part  in  the  first  resurrection : 
upon  these  the  second  death  hath  no  power;  but  they 
shall  be  priests  of  God  and  of  Christ,  and  shall  reign  with 
Him  a  thousand  years." 

We  must  look  carefully  at  all  this,  and  in  its  order. 
First,  the  thrones,  aud  those  sitting  on  them:  there  should 
be  no  difficulty  as  to  who  these  are,  for  we  have  already 
seen  the  elders  crowned  and  seated  in  heaven,  and  before 
that  have  heard  the  Lord  promise  the  overcomer  in  Lao- 
dicea  that  he  should  sit  with  Him  upon  His  throne.  That 
being  now  set  up  upon  the  earth,  we  find  the  saints 
throned  with  Him.  In  the  interpretation,  it  is  said  they 
reign  with  Him  a  thousand  years.  The  vision  is  thus 
far  very  simple. 

Daniel  has  already  spoken  of  these  thrones :  "  I  beheld," 
he  says,  "till  the  thrones  were  placed,"  (as  the  Revised 
Version  rightly  corrects  the  common  one,)  "and  the 
Ancient  of  days  did  sit."  (Chap.  vii.  9.)  But  there  was 
then  no  word  as  to  the  occupants  of  the  thrones.  It  is 
the  part  of  Revelation  to  fill  in  the  picture  on  its  heavenly 
side,  and  to  show  us  who  these  are.  They  are  not  angels, 
who,  though  there  may  be  "principalities"  among  them, 
are  never  said  to  reign  with  Christ.  They  are  redeemed 
men, — the  saints  caught  up  at  the  descent  of  the  Lord 
into  the  air  (i  Thess.  iv.),  and  who  as  the  armies  that 
were  in  heaven  we  have  seen  coming  with  the  white- 
horsed  King  to  the  judgment  of  the  earth. 

This  being  so,  it  is  evident  that  the  "  souls  "  next  spoken 
of  are  a  separate  company  from  these,  though  joined  to 
them  as  co-heirs  of  the  kingdom.  The  folly  that  has  been 
taught  that  they  are  "souls"  simply,  so  that  here  we  have 
a  resurrection  of  souls,  and  not  of  bodies, — together  with 
that  which  insists  that  it  is  a  resurrection  of  truths  or 
principles,  or  of  a  martyr-" spirit" — bursts  like  a  bubble 
when  we  take  into  account  the  first  company  of  living  and 
throne-d  saints.     In  the  sense  intended.  Scripture  never 


^> 


2IO  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

.  speaks  of  a  resurrection  of  souls.  "  Soul  "  is  here  used  for 
"  person,"  as  we  use  it  still,  and  as  Scripture  often  uses  it; 
and  the  word  "resurrection"  is  found,  not  in  the  vision, 
where   its   signification    might   be  doubtful,  but   in   the 

j  explanation,  where  we  have  no  right  to  take  it  as 
other  than  literal.  What  is  the  use  of  explanation,  except 
to  explain! 

The  recognition  of  the  first  company  here  also  removes 

]  another  difficulty,  which  troubled  those  with  whom  the 
"  blessed  hope  "  revived  at  the  end  of  the  last  century, 

^  that  the  first  resurrection  consisted   wholly  of  martyrs. 

[  The  second  company  does  indeed  consist  of  these,  and  for 
;^*^  *   an  evident  reason.     They  are  those  who,  converted  after 

,  the  Church  is  removed  to  heaven,  would  have  their  place 

I  naturally  in  earthly  blessing  with  Israel  and  the  saved 

>  nations.  Slain  for  the  Lord's  sake,  during  the  tribulation 
following,  they  necessarily  are  deprived  of  this:  only  to 
find  themselves  in  the  mercy  of  God  made  to  fill  a  higher 
place,  and  to  be  added,  by  divine  power  raising  them  from 
the  dead,  to  the  heavenly  saints.  How  sweet  and  comfort- 
ing this  assurance  as  to  the  sufferers  in  a  time  of  un- 
equaled  sorrow  ! 

When  we  look  further  at  this  last  company,  we  find,  as 
already  intimated,  that  it  also  consists  of  two  parts :  first, 
of  those  martyred  in  the  time  of  the  seals,  and  spoken  of 
under  the  fifth  seal;  and  secondly,  the  objects  of  the 
beast's  wrath,  as  in  chap.  xiii.  7,  15.  This  particulariza- 
tion  is  a  perfect  proof  of  who  are  embraced  in  this  vision, 
and  that  we  must  look  to  those  first  seen  as  sitting  on  the 
thrones  for  the  whole  multitude  of  the  saints  of  the  pres- 
ent and  the  past.  To  all  of  which  it  is  added  that  "the 
rest  of  the  dead  lived  not  again  till  the  thousand  years 
were  finished,"  when  we  find  in  fact  the  resurrection  of 
judgment  taking  place  {vv.  11-15).  All  ought  to  be  sim- 
ple, then.  The  "first  resurrection"  is  a  literal  resurrec- 
tion of  all  the  dead  in  Christ  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world,  a  certain  group  which  might  seem  not  to  belong  to 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  211 

it  being  specialized,  as  alone  needing  this.  The  first ; 
resurrection  is  ** first"  stmply  in  contrast  with  that  of  the 
wicked,  having  different  stages  indeed,  but  only  one  char- 
acter :  "Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath  part  in  the  first 
resurrection  !  upon  such  the  second  death  hath  no  power, 
but  they  shall  be  priests  of  God  and  of  Christ,  and  shall  i 
reign  with  Him  a  thousand  years."  t 

To  suppose  that  this  passage  stands  alone  and  unsup- 
ported in  the  New  Testament  is  to  be  ignorant  of  much  , 
that  is  written.  "Resurrection  from  the  dead,"  as  dis-'^^^ 
tinct  from  the  general  truth  of  "  resurrection  of  the  dead," 
is  special  New-Testament  truth.  The  Pharisees  knew 
that  there  should  be  "a  resurrection  of  the  dead,  both  of 
the  just  and  unjust."  (Acts  xxiv.  15.)  But  when  the  Lord 
spake  of  the  Son  of  Man  rising  from  the  dead,  the  disci- 
ples question  among  themselves  what  the  rising  from  the 
dead  could  mean  (Mark  ix.  9,  10.)  Christ's  own  resur- 
rection is  the  pattern  of  the  believer's.  The  "order"  of 
the  resurrection  is  distinctly  given  us  :  "  Christ  the  first- 
fruits;  afterward,  they  that  are  Christ's  at  His  coming" 
(i  Cor.  XV.  23):  not  a  general,  but  a  selective  resurrection. 
Such  was  what  the  apostle  would  by  any  means  gain:  not, 
as  in  the  common  version,  "  the  resurrection  ^/,"  but  "the 
resurrection /;w;^  the  dead."  (Phil.  iii.  11.) 

In  his  epistle  to  the  Thessalonians,  the  same  apostle 
instructs  us  more  distinctly  as  to  it,  speaking  in  the  way 
of  special  revelation,  by  "the  word  of  the  Lord:"  "For 
this  we  say  unto  you  by  the  word  of  the  Lord,  that  we 
which  are  alive  and  remain  unto  the  coming  of  the  Lord 
shall  not  prevent" — or,  as  the  Revised  Version,  "pre- 
cede"— "them  that  are  asleep.  For  the  Lord  Himself 
shall  descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout,  with  the  voice  of 
the  archangel,  and  with  the  trump  of  God:  and  the  dead 
in  Christ  shall  rise  first;  then  we  which  are  alive  and  re- 
main shall  be  caught  up  together  with  them  in  the  clouds, 
to  meet  the  Lord  in  air;  and  so  shall  we  ever  be  with  the 
Lord."  (i  Thess.  iv.  15-17.)      Thus  before   He  appears 


> 


212  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

shall  His  saints  be  with  Him;  and,  of  course,  long  before 
the  resurrection  of  the  lost. 

But  the  Lord  Himself  has  given  us,  in  His  answer  to 
the  Sadducees,  what  most  clearly  unites  with  this  vision 
in  Revelation  (Luke  xx.  34-36).  They  had  asked  Him 
of  one  who  had  married  seven  brethren  :  "  Whose  wife 
?^  shall  she  be  in  the  resurrection  ? "  meaning,  of  course,  to 
discredit  it  by  the  suggestion.  "And  Jesus  said  unto 
them,  'The  children  of  this  world  marry,  and  are  given  in 
marriage  ;  but  they  which  shall  be  accounted  worthy  to 
obtain  that  world,  and  the  resurrection  from  the  dead, 
neither  marry  nor  are  given  in  marriage;  neither  can 
they  die  any  more  ;  for  they  are  equal  unto  the  angels  ; 
and  are  the  children  of  God,  being  the  children  of  the 
resurrection.' " 

Clearly  this  asserts  the  fact  and  gives  the  character  of 
the  special  resurrection  which  the  vision  here  describes. 
It  is  one  which  we  must  be  "accounted  worthy"  to 
obtain,  not  one  which  nobody  can  miss :  it  is  grace  that 
acts  in  giving  any  one  his  place  in  it.  Those  who  have 
part  in  it  are  by  that  fact  proclaimed  to  be  the  "children 
of  God,"  thus  again  showing  that  it  cannot  be  a  general 
one.  They  die  no  more  :  that  is,  (as  here)  they  are  not 
hurt  of  the  second  death.  They  are  equal  to  the  angels: 
above  the  fleshly  conditions  of  this  present  life.  Finally, 
it  is  the  resurrection  from  the  dead,  not  of  the  dead 
merely.  All  this  is  so  plain  that  there  should  be  no  pos- 
sibility of  mistaking  it,  one  would  say ;  and  yet  it  is  no 
plainer  than  this  scene  in  Revelation. 

How  dangerous  must  be  the  spell  of  a  false  system, 
which  can  so  blind  the  eyes  of  multitudes  of  truly  godly 
and  otherwise  intelligent  persons  to  the  plain  meaning  of 
such  scriptures  as  these  !  And  how  careful  should  we 
be  to  test  every  thing  we  receive  by  the  Word,  which 
alone  is  truth  !  Even  the  "  wise  "  virgins  slumbered  with 
the  rest.  Which  shows  us  also,  however,  that  error  is 
connected  with  a  spiritual  condition,  even  in  saints  them- 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  213 

selves.  May  we  be  kept  from  all  that  would  thus  cloud 
our  perception  of  what,  as  truth,  alone  has  power  to  bless 
and  sanctify  the  soul ! 

The  Little  Season,  {vv.  7-10.) 

Of  the  millennial  earth,  not  even  the  slightest  sketch 
is  given  us  here.  The  book  of  Revelation  is  the 
closing  book  of  prophecy,  with  the  rest  of  which  we 
are  supposed  to  be  familiar ;  and  it  is  the  Christian 
book,  which  supplements  it  with  the  addition  of  what  is 
heavenly.  Thus  the  reign  of  the  heavenly  saints  has  just 
been  shown  us  :  for  details  as  to  the  earth,  we  must  go  to 
the  Old  Testament. 

In  the  millennium,  the  heavenly  is  displayed  in  connec- 
tion with  the  earthly.  The  glory  of  God  is  manifested  so 
that  the  earth  is  filled  with  the  knowledge  of  it  as  the 
waters  cover  the  sea.  Righteousness  rules,  and  evil  is 
afraid  to  lift  its  head.  The  curse  is  taken  from  the 
ground,  which  responds  with  wondrous  fruitfulness. 
Amid  all  this,  the  spiritual  condition  is  by  no  means  in 
correspondence  with  the  outward  blessing.  Even  the 
manifest  connection  of  righteousness  and  prosperity  can- 
not avail  to  make  men  love  righteousness,  nor  the  good- 
ness of  God,  though  evidenced  on  every  side,  to  bring 
men  to  repentance.  At  the  "four  corners  of  the  earth," 
retreating  as  far  as  possible  from  the  central  glory,  there 
are  still  those  who  represent  Israel's  old  antagonists,  and 
thus  are  called  by  their  names — "Gog  and  Magog,"  Nor 
are  they  remnants,  but  masses  of  population,  brought  to- 
gether by  sympathetic  hatred  of  God  and  His  people, — 
crowding  alike  out  of  light  into  the  darkness :  a  last  and 
terrible  answer  to  the  question,  "Lord,  what  is  man?" 

The  Gog,  of  the  land  of  Magog,  whose  invasion  of 
Israel  is  prophetically  described  in  the  book  of  Ezekiel 
(xxxviii.,  xxxix.),  is  the  prototype  of  these  last  invaders. 
There  need  be  no  confusion,  however,  between  them;  for 
the  invasion  in  Ezekiel  is  premillennial,  not  postmillennial, 


214  "things  that  shall  be." 

as  that  in  Revelation  is.  It  is  then  that  Israel  are  just 
back  in  their  land  (xxxviii.  14),  and  from  that  time  God's 
name  is  known  in  Israel,  and  they  pollute  His  holy  name 
no  more  (xxxix.  7).  The  nations  too  learn  to  know  Him 
(xxxviii.  16,  23).  There  needs,  therefore,  no  further  in- 
quiry to  be  sure  that  this  is  not  after  a  thousand  years  of 
such  knowledge. 

But  the  Gog  and  Magog  here  follow  in  the  track  of 
men  who  have  long  before  made  God  known  in  the  judg- 
ment He  executed, — follow  them  in  awful,  reckless  disre- 
gard of  the  end  before  them.  This  is  clearly  due  to  the 
,  loosing  once  more  of  Satan.  While  he  was  restrained, 
[  the  evil  was  there,  but  cowed  and  hidden.  He  gives  it 
'  energy  and  daring.  They  go  up  now  on  the  breadth  of 
the  earth — from  which  for  the  moment  the  divine  shield 
seems  to  be  removed,  and  compass  the  camp  of  the  saints 
about,  and  the  beloved  city.  The  last  is  of  course  the 
earthly  Jerusalem.  The  "camp  of  the  saints"  seems  to 
be  that  of  the  heavenly  saints,  who  are  the  Lord's  host 
around  it.  The  city  is  of  course  impregnable  :  the  rebels 
are  taken  in  the  plain  fact  of  hostility  to  God  and  His 
people;  and  judgment  is  swift  and  complete  :  "fire  came 
down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  and  devoured  them." 
The  wicked  are  extinct  out  of  the  earth. 

The  arch-rebel  now  receives  final  judgment.  "  And 
the  devil,  that  deceived  them,  was  cast  into  a  lake  of  fire 
and  brimstone,  where  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  are; 
and  they  shall  be  tormented  day  and  night  for  the  ages 
of  ages." 

These  words  deserve  most  solemn  consideration.   They 

are  plain  enough  indeed;  but  what  is  there  from  which 

man  will  not  seek  to  escape,  when  his  will  is  adverse  ? 

j  The  deniers  of  eternal  punishment,  both  on  the- side  of 

!  restitution  and  that  of  annihilation,  are  here  confronted 
with  a  plain  example  of  it.     Two  human  beings,  cast  in 
I  alive  into  the  lake  of  fire  a  thousand  years  before,  are 
J  found  there  at  the  close  of  this  long  period  still  in  exist- 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  215 

ence !  How  evident  that  this  fire  is  not,  therefore,  like 
material  fire,  but  something  widely  different !  All  the 
arguments  as  to  the  action  of  fire  in  consuming  what  is 
exposed  to  it  are  here  at  once  shown  to  be  vain.  That 
which  can  remain  a  thousand  years  in  the  lake  of  fire 
unconsumed  may  remain,  so  far  as  one  can  see,  forever ; 
and  it  is  forever  that  they  here  are  plainly  said  to  be 
tormented. 

But  it  is  objected  that  there  is,  in  fact,  no  verb  here : 
the  sentence  reads  simply,  "  where  the  beast  and  the  false 
prophet,"  and  that  to  fill  up  the  gap  properly  we  must  put 
'''were  cast,''  which  would  say  nothing  about  continuance. 
But  what,  then,  about  the  concluding  statement,  ''  and 
they'' — for  it  is  a  plural, — "and  they  shall  be  tormented 
day  and  night  for  the  ages  of  ages"? 

Finding  this  argument  vain,  or  from  the  opposite  inter- 
est of  restitution,  it  is  urged  that  "day  and  night"  do  not 
exist  in  eternity.  But  we  are  certainly  brought  here  to 
eternity,  and  "  for  the  ages  of  ages  "  means  nothing  else. 
It  is  the  measure  of  the  life  of  God  Himself  (iv.  lo).  No 
passage  that  occurs,  even  to  the  smoke  of  Babylon  as- 
cending up,  can  be  shown  to  have  a  less  significance. 

Growing  desperate,  some  have  ventured  to  say  that  we 
should  translate  "////  the  ages  of  ages."  But  the  other 
passages  stand  against  this  with  an  iron  front,  and  forbid 
it.  We  are,  in  this  little  season,  right  on  the  verge  of 
eternity  itself.  The  same  expression  is  used  as  to  the 
judgment  of  the  great  white  throne  itself,  which  is  in 
eternity.  It  will  not  do  to  say  of  God  that  He  lives  to 
the  ages  of  ages,  and  not  through  them.  The  truth  is 
very  plain,  then,  that  the  punishment  here  decreed  to 
three  transgressors  is,  in  the  strictest  sense,  eternal. 

Whether  the  same  thing  is  true  of  all  the  wicked  dead, 
we  now  go  on  to  see. 

The  judgment  of  the  Dead. 
The    millennium  is  over :    "  And   I  saw  a  great  white 


2l6  ^'THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

throne,  and  Him  that  sat  on  it,  from  whose  face  the  earth 
and  the  heaven  fled;  and  there  was  found  no  place  for 
them.  And  I  saw  the  dead,  great  and  small,  standing 
before  the  throne,  and  books  were  opened;  and  another 
book  was  opened,  which  is  the  book  of  life  :  and  the  dead 
were  judged  out  of  those  things  that  were  written  in  the 
books,  according  to  their  works.  And  the  sea  gave  up  the 
dead  which  were  in  it;  and  death  and  hades  delivered  up 
the  dead  which  were  in  them  :  and  they  were  judged 
every  one  according  to  their  works.  And  death  and  hades 
were  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire.  This  is  the  second  death, 
the  lake  of  fire.  And  whoever  was  not  found  written  in 
the  book  of  life  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire." 

This  is  the  judgment  of  the  dead  alone,  and  must  be 
kept  perfectly  distinct  in  our  minds  from  the  long  previous 
judgment  of  the  living.  The  judgment  in  Matt,  xxv.,  for 
example,  where  the  "sheep"  are  separated  from  the 
*' goats,"  is  a  judgment  of  the  living, — of  the  nations  upon 
earth  when  the  Lord  comes.  It  is  not,  indeed,  the  warrior- 
judgment  of  those  taken  with  arms  in  their  hands,  in  open 
rebellion,  which  we  have  beheld  in  the  premillennial 
vision.  The  nations  are  gathered  before  the  Son  of  Man, 
who  has  just  come  in  His  glory,  and  all  the  holy  angels 
with  Him;  and  that  coming,  as  when  elsewhere  spoken  of 
throughout  the  prophecy,  is  unquestionably  premillennial. 
As  mankind  are  divided  into  the  three  classes,  "the  Jew, 
the  Gentile,  and  the  Church  of  God,"  so  the  prophecy  in 
relation  to  the  Jew  is  to  be  found  in  chap.  xxiv.  1-42; 
that  in  relation  to  the  professing  Church,  to  the  thirtieth 
verse  of  the  next  chapter;  and  the  rest  of  it  gives  us  the 
sessional  judgment  of  the  Gentiles,  so  far  as  they  have 
been  reached  by  the  everlasting  gospel.  The  judgment 
is  not  of  all  the  deeds  done  in  the  body  :  it  is  as  to  how 
they  have  treated  the  brethren  of  the  Lord  {v.  40)  who 
have  been  among  them,  evidently  as  travelers,  in  rejection 
and  peril.  The  Jewish  point  of  view  of  the  prophecy  as 
a  whole  clearly  points  to  Jewish  messengers,  who  as  such 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  217 

represent  Israel's  King  (comp.  Matt.  x.  40).  There  is 
not  a  word  about  resurrection  of  the  dead,  which  the  time 
of  this  judgment  excludes  the  possibility  of  as  to  the 
wicked.  It  is  one  partial  as  to  its  range,  limited  as  to 
that  of  which  it  takes  account,  and  in  every  way  distinct 
from  such  a  general  judgment  as  the  large  part  of  Chris- 
tendom even  yet  looks  for. 

Here  in  the  vision  before  us  there  is  simply  the  judg-  \^*f^ 
ment  of  the  dead;  and  although  the  word  is  not  used,  the 
account  speaks  plainly  of  resurrection.     The  sea  gives  up  y^J^ 
the  dead  which  are  in  it,  as  well  as  by  implication  also,  ^ 
the  dry  land.     Death,  as  well  as  hades,  deliver  up  what 
they  respectively  hold;  and  as  hades  is  unequivocally  the 
receptacle  of  the  soul  (Acts  ii.  27),  so  must  "death,"  on 
the  other  hand,   which  the  soul  survives  (Matt.  x.  28), 
stand  here  in  connection  with  that  over  which  it  has  su- 
preme control — the  body. 

The  dead,  then,  here  rise;  and  we  have  that  from  which 
the  "blessed  and  holy"  of  the  first  resurrection  are  de- 
livered— the  '*  resurrection  of  judgment."  (Jno.  v.  29,  R.  V.) 
From  personal  judgment  the  Lord  expressly  assures  us 
that  the  believer  is  exempt  {v.  24,  R.  V.)  Here,  not  only 
are  the  works  judged,  which  will  be  true  of  the  believer 
also,  and  for  lasting  blessing  to  him,  but  men  are  judged 
according  to  their  works — a  very  different  thing.  Such  a 
judgment  would  allow  of  no  hope  for  the  most  upright 
and  godly  among  mere  men. 

And  this  would  seem  to  show  that  though  a  millennium        . 
has  passed  since  the  first  resurrection,  yet  no  righteous     \}^ 
dead  can  stand  among  this  throng.     The  suggestion  of     -c?"* 
the  ''book  of  life"  has  seemed  to  many  to  imply  that 
there  are  such;  but  it  is  not  said  that  there  are,  and  the 
words,  "whoever  was  not  found  written  in  the  book  of 
life  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire,"  may  be  simply  a  solemn 
declaration   (now  affirmed  by  the   result)  that  grace  is 
man's  only  possible  escape  from  the  judgment.     May  it 
not  even  be  intended  to  apply  more  widely  than  to  the 


2l8  *' THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

dead  here,  and  take  in  the  living  saints  of  the  millennium 
negatively,  as  showing  how  in  fact  they  are  not  found 
before  this  judgment-seat? 

At  any  rate,  the  principle  of  judgment — ''according  to 
their  works" — seems  to  exclude  absolutely  any  of  those 
saved  by  grace.  And  there  are  intimations  also,  in  the 
Old-Testament  prophecies,  as  to  the  extension  of  life  in 
the  millennium,  which  seem  well  to  consist  with  the  com- 
plete arrest  of  death  for  the  righteous  during  the  whole 
f.  period.     If  "as  the  days  of  a  tree  shall  be  the  days  of" 

>     l^l      God's  "people"  (Is.  Ixv.  22),  and  he  who  dies  at  a  hun- 
^  ,dred  years  dies  as  a  child  yet,  and  for  wickedness  :  be- 

^/*^' cause  there  shall  be  no  more  any  one  (apart  from  this) 
^  that  shall  not  fill  his  days  {v.  20),  it  would  almost  seem  to 
follow  that  there  is  no  death.  And  to  this  the  announce- 
ment as  to  the  "sheep"  in  the  judgment-scene  in  Matthew 
— that  "the  righteous  shall  go  away  into  life  eternal," 
strikingly  corresponds.  For  to  go  into  life  eternal  is  not 
to  possess  life  in  the  way  that  at  present  we  may;  in  fact, 
as  "  righteous,"  they  already  did  this  :  it  means  apparently 
nothing  less  than  the  complete  canceling  of  the  claim  of 
death  in  their  case. 

And  now  death  and  hades  are  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire, 
^^      — that  is,  those  who  dwelt  in  them  are  cast  there.     These 
exist  as  it  were  but  in  those  who  fill  them;  and  thus  we 
Jl^^      learn  that  there  is  no  exemption  or  escape  from  the  last 
final  doom  for  any  who  come  into  this  judgment.  The  lake 
of  fire  is  the  second dGath.  The  first  terminated  in  judgment 
man's  career  on  earth;  the  second  closes  the  intermediate 
A^       state  in  adjudged  alienation  from  the  Source  of  life.    The 
j^         first  is  but  the  type  of  the  second.     As  we  have  seen,  it  is 
not  extinction  at  all;  and  indeed  a  resurrection  merely  for 
A^     the  sake  of  suffering  before  another  extinction  would  seem 
self-contradictory.      In   fact,  death — what  we  ordinarily 
call  that — is  now  destroyed.     "It  is  appointed  unto  man 
once  to  die,  but  after  this  the  judgment,"  which  is  thence- 
forth, therefore,  undying  (Heb.  ix.  27). 


^ 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  219 

With  the  great  white  throne  set  up,  the  earth  and  the 
heavens  pass  away,  and  there  come  into  being  a  "  new 
heaven  and  a  new  earth  in  which  dwelleth  righteousness." 
(2  Pet.  iii.  13.) 

The  Earth's   Final  State.   (Chap.  xxi.  i-8.) 

Before  the  face  of  Him  who  sits  upon  the  great 
white  throne  "the  earth  and  the  heaven  fled  away, 
and  there  was  found  no  place  for  them."  (Chap.  xx.  ii.) 
We  have  now  a  complementary  statement:  "And  I 
saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth."  It  is  clear,  there- 
fore, that  an  earthly  condition  abides  for  eternity.  It  is  a 
point  of  interest  as  to  which  Scripture  seems  to  give  full 
satisfaction,  whether  this  new  earth  is  itself  a  "  new  crea- 
tion^' or  the  old  earth  remodeled  and  made  new.  At  first 
sight,  one  would  no  doubt  decide  for  the  former;  and  this 
was  the  view  that  at  one  time  almost  held  possession  of 
the  field,  the  new  earth  scarcely  being  regarded  by  the 
mass  as  "  earth  "  at  all.  Practically,  the  earth  was  simply 
believed  to  exist  no  more,  and  in  contrast  with  it  all  was 
to  be  heavenly :  the  double  sphere  of  blessing,  earth  and 
heaven,  was  lost  sight  of,  if  not  denied. 

Lately,  for  many,  reaction  has  set  in,  and  the  pendulum 
has  swung  past  the  point  of  rest  to  the  other  extreme. 
The  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament  rightly  understood 
as  to  be  literally  taken,  and  delivered  from  the  glosses  of 
a  falsely  called  "spiritual "  interpretation,  seemed  to  agree 
with  the  apostle  Peter  and  the  book  of  Revelation  in 
making  the  earth  to  be  the  inheritance  of  the  saints, — the 
earth  in  a  heavenly  condition^  brought  back  out  of  its  state 
of  exile,  and  into  true  relation  with  the  rest  of  the  family 
of  heaven,  not  alienated  from  their  original  place.  Con- 
trast between  earth  and  heaven  as  an  eternal  existence 
was  again,  but  from  the  other  side  of  it,  denied. 

The  whole  web  and  woof  of  Scripture  is  against  either 
of  these  confusions :  the  point  of  rest  can  only  be  in  ac- 
cepting the  distinction  of  earthly  from  heavenly  as  funda- 


220  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

mental  to  all  right  understanding  of  the  prophetic  word. 
The  Old-Testament  "promises,"  which  have  in  view  the 
earth  as  a  sphere  of  blessing,  are,  as  the  apostle  declares 
(Rom.  ix.  1-4),  Jewish,  not  Christian.  The  New  Testa- 
ment emphasizes  that  the  blessings  of  the  Christian  are  in 
"heavenly  places."  (Eph.  i.  3.)  Nor  can  this  last  possibly 
apply  to  earth  made  heavenly.  The  Lord  has  left  us  with 
the  assurance  (Jno.  xiv.)  that  in  His  Father's  house  are 
many  mansions, — permanent  places  of  abode, — that  He 
was  going  to  prepare  a  place  there  for  us,  and  that  He 
will  come  again  to  receive  us  to  Himself,  that  where  He 
is,  there  we  may  be  also.  As  well  assure  us  that  the 
Lord's  permanent  abode  is  to  be  on  earth  and  not  in 
heaven,  as  that  our  own  is  to  be  here,  not  there. 

Each  line  of  truth  must  have  its  place  if  we  are  to  be 
"rightly  dividing  the  word  of  truth."  The  heavenly 
"  bride  of  the  Lamb  "  is  not  the  earthly;  "  Jerusalem  which 
is  above  "  is  not  the  Palestinean  city;  the  "church  of  first- 
born ones,  who  are  written  in  heaveii "  are  not  that  "  Is- 
rael," declared  God's  "  first-born  "  as  to  the  earth  ;  the 
promise  of  the  Morning  Star  is  not  the  same  as  that  of 
the  "Sun  of  Righteousness,"  although  Christ  assuredly  is 
both  of  these.  Discernment  of  such  differences  is  of 
necessity  for  all  true  filling  of  our  place,  and  practical 
rendering  of  Christian  life. 

Let  us  look  now,  however,  at  the  question  of  continuity 
between  the  earth  that  flees  away  and  the  earth  that  suc- 
ceeds it.  At  first  sight  we  should  surely  say,  they  cannot 
be  identical.  The  well-known  passage  in  the  epistle  of 
Peter  would  seem  to  confirm  this  (2  Pet.  iii.  10,  12).  There 
we  learn  that  "the  heavens  shall  pass  away  with  a  great 
noise,  and  the  elements  shall  melt  with  fervent  heat ;  the 
earth  also,  and  the  works  that  are  therein,  shall  be  burned 
up."  And  it  is  repeated,  and  thus  emphasized  by  repeti- 
tion, that  "the  heavens  being  on  fire  shall  be  dissolved, 
and  the  elements  shall  melt  with  fervent  heat." 

Yet,  as  we  look  more  closely,  we  shall  find  reason  to 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  221 

doubt  whether  more  is  meant  than  the  destruction  of  the 
earth  as  the  place  of  human  habitation.  In  the  deluge, 
to  which  it  is  compared  (vv.  5-7),  "  the  world  that  then 
was  perished ;''  yet  its  continuity  with  the  present  no  one 
doubts.  Fire,  though  the  instrument  of  a  more  penetrat- 
ing judgment,  yet  does  not  annihilate  the  material  upon 
which  it  fastens.  The  melting  even  of  elements  implies 
rather  the  reverse,  and  dissolution  is  not  (in  this  sense) 
destruction. 

Yet  the  heavens  and  the  earth  pass  away, — that  is,  in 
the  form  in  which  now  we  know  them;  or,  as  the  apostle 
speaks  to  the  Corinthians,  "the  fashion  of  this  world 
passes  away"  (i  Cor.  vii.  21):  and  that  this  is  the  sense  in 
which  we  are  to  understand  it,  other  scriptures  come  to 
assure  us. 

A  "  new  '*  earth  does  not  necessarily  mean  another  earth, 
except  as  a  *'  new  "  man  means  another  man, — "  new  "  in 
the  sense  of  renewed.  And  even  the  words  here,  "  there 
was  no  more  sea,"  naturally  suggest  another  state  of  the 
earth  that  now  exists.  This  fact  is  a  significant  one  :  that 
which  is  the  type  of  instability  and  barrenness,  and  con- 
demns to  it  so  large  a  portion  of  the  globe,  is  gone  utterly 
and  forever.  At  the  beginning  of  Genesis  we  find  the 
whole  earth  buried  under  it ;  emerging  on  the  third  day, 
and  the  waters  given  their  bounds,  which  but  once  after- 
ward they  pass.  Now  they  are  gone  forever,  as  are  the 
wicked,  to  whom  Isaiah  compares  it:  "The  wicked  are 
like  the  troubled  sea  when  it  cannot  rest,  whose  waters 
cast  up  mire  and  dirt."  This  last  is  the  effect  of  chafing 
against  its  bounds,  as  the  "mind  of  the  flesh"  is  "not 
subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can  be."  (Rom. 
viii.  7.) 

These  analogies  cannot  fail  to  illustrate  another  which 
the  Lord  Himself  gives  us,  when  He  speaks  of  the  millen- 
nial kingdom  as  the  "regeneration," — "Ye  who  have 
followed  Me,  in  the  regeneration,  when  the  Son  of  Man 
shall  sit  on  the  throne   of    His   glory,   ye  also  shall   sit 


222  ** THINGS   THAT   SHALL    BE." 

upon  twelve  thrones,  judging  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel." 
(Matt.  xix.  28.)  Here,  let  us  note  that  it  is  the  Lord's 
kingdom  that  is  the  regeneration  of  the  earth.  That  reign 
of  righteousness  which  is  the  effectual  curb  upon  human 
wickedness,  not  the  removal  of  it,  answers  thus  to  what 
"regeneration"  is  for  him  who  is  in  this  sense  in  the 
Lord's  kingdom  now.  Sin  is  not  removed;  the  flesh 
abides  even  in  the  regenerate;  but  it  has  its  bound — it 
does  not  reign,  has  not  dominion.  In  the  perfect  state, 
whether  for  the  individual  or  the  earth,  righteousness 
dwells,  as  Peter  says  of  the  latter :  sin  exists  no  more. 
How  striking  does  the  analogy  here  become  when  we  re- 
member that  the  change,  perhaps  dissolution,  of  the  body 
comes  between  the  regenerate  and  the  perfect  state,  just 
as  the  similar  "dissolution  "  of  the  earth  does  between  the 
millennium  and  the  new  earth  !  Surely  this  throws  a 
bright  light  upon  the  point  we  are  examining. 

The  new  heavens  are,  of  course,  only  the  ^^r//^-heavens, 
the  work  of  the  second  of  the  six  days.  They  are  of  great 
importance  to  the  earth  which  they  surround,  and  to 
which  they  minister.  More  and  more  is  science  coming 
to  recognize  how  (in  natural  law  at  least)  the  heavens  rule. 
Yet  who  but  an  inspired  writer,  of  the  time  of  Peter  or 
John,  would  have  made  so  much  of  the  new  heavens? 
And  these  only,  as  Peter  reminds  us,  develop  a  much 
earlier  "promise."  This  we  find  in  Isa.  Ixv.  and  Ixvi.,  a 
repeated  announcement,  the  second  time  explicitly  con- 
nected with  the  continuance  of  Israel's  "seed"  and 
"name:"  "For  as  the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth 
which  I  will  make  shall  abide  before  Me,  saith  the  Lord, 
so  shall  your  seed  and  your  name  remain."  Thus  even 
in  the  new  earth  there  will  be  no  merging  of  Israel  in  the 
general  mass  of  the  nations.  The  first-born  people  written 
on  earth  will  show  still  how  "the  gifts  and  calling  of  God 
are  without  repentance,"  as  will  the  "church  of  the  first- 
born who  are  written  in  heaven."  These  different  circles 
of  blessing,  like  the  principalities  and  powers  in  heavenly 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  223 

places,  are  quite  accordant  with  what  we  see  everywhere 
of  God's  manifold  ways  and  ranks  in  creation.  Why 
should  eternity  efface  these  differences,  which  of  course 
do  not  touch  the  unity  of  the  family  of  God  as  such,  while 
they  are  abiding  witnesses  of  divine  mercy  in  relation  to  a 
past,  of  which  the  lessons  are  never  to  be  lost  ? 

Earth,  then,  itself  remains,  but  a  "new"  earth;  and  as 
the  seal  upon  its  eternal  blessedness,  "I  saw,"  says  the 
prophet-evangelist,  "the  holy  city,  new  Jerusalem,  coming 
down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  prepared  as  a  bride 
adorned  for  her  husband.  And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out 
of  the  throne,  saying,  '  Behold,  the  tabernacle  of  God  is 
with  men,  and  He  shall  tabernacle  with  them,  and  they 
shall  be  His  people,  and  God  Himself  shall  be  with  them, 
their  God.'"  Here  is  the  promise  in  Immanuel's  name 
made  finally  good  to  the  redeemed  race  :  and  he  who  is 
privileged  to  show  us  the  glory  of  the  Only-begotten  of 
the  Father  tabernacling  among  men  when  the  Word  was 
made  flesh,  is  the  one  who  shows  us  the  full  consumma- 
tion. Of  the  new  Jerusalem  we  have  presently  a  detailed 
account;  here,  what  is  emphasized  is,  that  it  is  the  link 
between  God  and  men;  God  Himself  is  with  men,  in  all 
the  fullness  of  blessing  implied  in  that. 

We  must  not,  however,  pass  over  any  thing :  the  less 
even  that  is  said,  the  more  should  we  ponder  that  which 
ts  said.  Let  us  see,  then,  what  is  here,  putting  it  in 
connection  with  what  seems  most  naturally  to  throw  light 
upon  it  elsewhere.  Standing  where  we  are — at  the  end 
of  time,  we  stand  indeed  whither  the  whole  stream  of  time 
has  been  conducting  us  ;  and  therefore  with  the  countless 
voices  of  the  past  sounding  prophetically  to  us.  What 
will  it  be  to  be  actually  there,  at  the  end  of  the  ways 
which,  though  through  the  valley  of  Baca,  lead  up  to  the 
city  of  God  ! 

First,  here,  we  are  shown  that  He  has  prepared  for  us 
a  city — "  the  holy  city."  The  new  Jerusalem  is  surely, 
what  its  earthly  type  is,  a  "  city  of  habitation  :  "  it  is  not  i 


224  *' THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

simply  a  figure  for  the  saints  themselves.  The  patriarchs 
of  old,  content  to  await  in  patient  faith  the  end  of  their 
pilgrim-journey,  ''  looked  for  a  city  which  hath  founda- 
tions, whose  builder  and  maker  is  God;"  and  He  will  not 
disappoint  their  expectations, — "  He  hath  prepared  for 
them  a  city."  (Heb.  xi.  lo,  i6.)  At  the  very  beginning  of 
the  world's  history  we  find,  in  one  who  manifested  a  totally 
opposite  spirit,  still  the  desire  of  the  human  heart  which 
this  promise  meets.  Cain  went  out  from  the  presence  of 
the  Lord,  fugitive  and  vagabond  as  he  was,  to  build  a 
city.  Without  faith  or  patience,  he  only  shows  the 
natural  craving  of  the  heart,  but  not  in  itself  evil  because 
natural.  Ever  since,  the  history  of  man  has  connected 
itself  mainly  with  its  cities.  From  Babel  on  to  Rome, 
these  have  been  the  centres  of  power  and  progress  ever, 
and  (the  world  being  what  it  is)  they  have  exhibited  in 
the  most  developed  way  its  opposition  to  God.  But  God 
too  has  His  city,  and  makes  much  of  it,  "  beautiful  for 
situation,  the  joy  of  the  whole  earth,"  and  with  it  associates 
(Ps.  Ixxxvii.)  the  One  great  name  which  eclipses  that  of 
all  others. 

The  tendency  of  the  day  is  toward  cities,  and  in  these, 
for  good  or  for  ill,  we  find  the  greatest  development  of 
man;  only,  man  being  fallen,  the  development  is  mon- 
strous. When  the  day  of  the  Lord  has  put  down,  how- 
ever, all  human  thoughts,  it  is  only  to  exalt  Jerusalem 
upon  the  earth,  and  to  make  way  for  the  display  of  that 
better  Jerusalem  that  is  here  before  us. 

The  city  is  the  expression  of  human  need,  and  the  pro- 
vision for  it.  In  the  midst  of  strife  and  insecurity,  men 
gather  together  for  protection;  but  that  is  only  a  small 
part  of  what  is  implied  in  it.  There  are  other  needs  more 
universal  than  this,  as  that  of  cooperation,  the  division  of 
labor,  the  result  of  that  inequality  of  aptitudes  by  which 
God  has  made  us  mutually  dependent.  Our  social  nature 
is  thus  met,  and  there  are  formed  and  strengthened  the 
ties  by  which  the  world  is  bound  together;  while  the  m- 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  225 

tercoLirse  of  mind  with  mind,  of  heart  with  heart,  stimu- 
lates and  develops  every  latent  faculty.  "Iron  sharpeneth 
iron;  so  a  man  sharpeneth  the  countenance  of  his  friend." 
(Prov.  xxvii.  17.) 

The  eternal  city  implies  for  us  association,  fellowship,  a 
intercourse,  the  fullness  of  what  was  intimated  in  the 
primal  saying,  "  It  is  not  good  for  man  to  be  alone,"  but 
which  in  respect  of  the  bride  city,  which  this  is,  has  still  a 
deeper  meaning.  Here,  the  relationship  of  the  saints  to 
Christ,  who  as  the  Lamp  of  divine  glory  enlightens  it, 
alone  adequately  explains  all.  "Alone"  can  we  never- 
more be.  "  With  Him"  our  whole  manhood  shall  find  its 
complete  answer,  satisfaction,  and  rest. 

This  is  necessarily,  therefore,  the  "holy  city."  Cain's 
has  but  too  much  characterized  every  city  hitherto. 
Where  shall  we  find  as  in  the  city  the  reek  of  impurity 
and  the  hotbed  of  corruption  ?  There  poverty  and  riches 
pour  out  a  common  flood  of  iniquity,  out  of  which  comes 
ever  increasing  the  defiant  cry  of  despair.  But  here  at 
last  is  a  "  HOLY  city,"  the  new  Jerusalem,  "foundation 
of  peace;"  not,  like  Babel  of  old,  towering  up  to  heaven, 
but  coming  down  from  heaven,  the  way  of  all  good,  of  all 
blessing  for  men.  The  tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men. 
God  Himself  tabernacles  with  them.  His  own  hand  re- 
moves every  trace  of  former  sorrow,  every  effect  of  sin. 
His  own  voice  proclaims  what  his  hand  accomplishes : 
"  Behold,  I  make  all  things  new." 

Here,  that  we  may  be  fully  assured,  a  confirmatory  word 
is  added.  And  along  with  this,  and  in  view  of  it,  in  the 
name  of  Him  who  is  Alpha  and  Omega,  beginning  and 
end,  the  sweet  invitation  of  the  gospel  is  once  more  pub- 
lished, the  free  gift  of  the  water  of  life  to  every  thirsty 
soul  is  certified;  and  the  inheritance  to  the  overcomer, 
for  it  is  reached  by  the  way  of  conflict  and  of  triumph, — 
grace  securing,  not  evading,  this  :  "  He  that  overcometh 
shall  inherit  these  things  ;  and  I  will  be  his  God,  and  he 
shall  be  My  son." 


226  '-THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

Just  here  too,  with  no  less  earnestness,  and  in  eternity, 
past  all  the  change  of  time,  the  doom  of  the  wicked  is 
pronounced:  "But  the  fearful" — too  cowardly  to  take 
part  with  Christ  in  a  world  opposed  to  Him, — "and  un- 
believing, and  abominable,  and  murderers,  and  whore- 
mongers, and  sorcerers,  and  idolaters,  and  all  liars,  shall 
have  their  part  in  the  lake  which  burneth  with  fire  and 
brimstone,  which  is  the  second  death." 

The  Holy  City. 

The  last  vision  of  Revelation  is  now  before  us  :  it  is 
that  of  the  city  of  God  itself.  But  here,  where  one 
would  desire  above  all  to  see  clearly,  we  become 
most  conscious  of  how  feeble  and  dull  is  our  apprehen- 
sion of  eternal  things,  I'hey  are  words  of  an  apostle 
which  remind  us  that  "we  see  through  a  glass  darkly" — 
en  ainigmati^  in  a  riddle.  Such  a  riddle,  then,  it  is  no 
wonder  if  the  vision  presents  to  us:  the  dream  that  we 
have  here  a  literal  description,  even  to  the  measurements, 

^  of  the  saints'  eternal  home,  is  one  too  foolish  to  need 
much  comment.     All  other  visions  throughout  the  book 

*  have  been  symbolic  :  how  much  more  here  !  how  little 
need  we  expect  that  the  glimpse  which  is  here  given  us 
into  the  unseen  would  reveal  to  us  the  shape  of  buildings, 
or  the  material  used  !  Scripture  is  reticent  all  through 
upon  such  subjects;  and  the  impress  to  be  left  upon  our 
souls  is  plainly  spiritual,  not  of  lines  and  hues,  as  for  the 
natural  senses.  "  Things  which  eye  hath  not  seen  "  are 
not  put  before  the  eye. 

On  the  other  hand,  that  the  "city"  revealed  to  us  here 
is  not  simply  a  figure  of  the  saints  themselves,  as,  from 
the  term  used  for  it,  "the  Bride,  the  Lamb's  Wife,"  some 
have  taken  it  to  be,  there  are  other  scriptures  which  seem 
definitely  to  assure  us.  "Jerusalem,  which  is  above, 
which  is  our  mother"  (Gal.  iv.)  could  hardly  be  used  in 
this  way,  though  the  Church  is  indeed  so  conceived  of  in 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  227 

patristic  and  medioeval  thought.     But  even  thus  it  would 
not  be  spoken  of  naturally  as  ^^ above" 

In  Heb.  xii.  we  have  a  still  more  definite  testimony. 
For  there  the  "Church  of  the  first-born  ones  which  are 
written  in  heaven,"  as  well  as  *'the  spirits  of  just  men 
made  perfect " — in  other  words,  both  Christians  and  the 
saints  of  the  Old  Testament — are  mentioned  as  distinct 
from  ''  the  city  of  the  living  God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem;" 
and  this  will  not  allow  them  to  be  the  same  thing,  al- 
though, in  another  way,  the  identification  of  a  city  with 
its  inhabitants  is  easy. 

We  are  led  in  the  same  direction  by  the  mention  of  the 
"  tree  of  life  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God," — some- 
thing to  which  the  apostle  thought  he  might  have  been 
caught  even  bodily  (2  Cor.  xii.) — and  here  is  the  tree  of 
life  in  the  midst  of  the  city  beside  the  "river  of  the  water 
of  life"  which  flows  from  the  throne  of  God.  Figurative 
language  all  this  surely;  yet  these  passages  combine  to 
give  us  the  thought  of  a  heavenly  abode,  already  existing, 
and  which  will  be  in  due  time  revealed  as  the  metropolis 
of  the  heavenly  kingdom — what  Jerusalem  restored  will 
be  in  the  lower  sphere.  Indeed  the  earthly  here  so  par- 
allels and  illustrates  the  heavenly  as  to  be  a  most  useful 
help  in  fixing,  if  not  enlarging,  our  thoughts  about  it, — 
always  while  we  realize,  of  course,  the  essential  difference 
that  Scripture  itself  makes  clear  to  be  between  them. 
But  this  we  shall  have  to  look  at  as  we  proceed. 

"The  holy  city,  Jerusalem,"  is  certainly  intended  to  be 
a  plain  comparison  with  the  earthly  city.  But  that  is  the 
type  only ;  this  is  the  antitype,  the  true  "  foundation  of 
peace,"  as  the  word  means.  What  more  comforting  title, 
after  all  the  scenes  of  strife,  the  fruit  of  the  lusts  that  war 
in  our  members,  which  we  have  had  to  look  upon  !  Here 
is  "peace"  at  last,  and  on  a  foundation  that  shall  not  be 
removed,  but  that  stands  fast  forever.  For  this  is  em- 
phatically "the  city  that  /lath  foundations,"  and  "whose 
builder  and  maker  is  God."  (Heb.  xi.  10.)     How  blessed 


228  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

it  is,  too,  that  it  should  be  just  one  of  the  seven  angels 
that  had  the  seven  last  plagues  that  shows  John  the  city  ! 
for  no  mere  executioner  of  judgment  we  see  is  he  :  judg- 
ment (as  with  Gpd,  for  it  is  God's)  is  also  his  "  strange 
work."  It  had  to  come,  and  it  has  come :  there  was  no 
help,  no  hope  without  it ;  thus  the  stroke  of  the  "  rod  of 
iron"  was  that  of  the  shepherd's  rod;  it  was  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  destroyers  only.  But  it  is  past,  and  here  is 
the  scene  wherein  his  own  heart  rests,  to  which  it  returns 
with  loyalty  and  devotion  :  here,  where  the  water  of  life 
flows  from  the  throne  of  God, — eternal,  from  the  Eternal; 
refreshment,  gladness,  fruitfulness,  and  power  are  found 
in  obedience. 

But  the  city  is  the  "Bride,  the  Lamb's  wife."  In  the 
Old  Testament,  the  figure  of  marriage  is  used  in  a  similar 
way.  Israel  was  thus  Jehovah's  "married  wife"  (Is.  liv. 
I,  Jer.  xxxi.  ^^),  now  divorced  indeed  for  her  unfaithful- 
ness, but  yet  to  return  (Hos.  ii.),  and  be  received  and 
reinstated.  Her  Maker  will  be  then  once  more  her  hus- 
band, and  more  than  the  old  blessing  be  restored.  In  the 
forty-fifth  psalm,  Israel's  King,  Messiah,  is  the  Bride- 
groom; the  Song  of  Solomon  is  the  mystic  song  of  His 
espousals.  Jerusalem  thus  bears  His  name  :  "  This  is 
the  name  whereby  she  shall  be  called  :  '  Jehovah  our 
Righteousness.'"  (Jer.  xxxiii.  i6,  comp.  xxiii.  6.)  The 
land  too  shall  be  "  married."  (Is.  Ixii.  4.) 

In  the  New  Testament,  the  same  figure  is  still  used  in 
the  same  way.  The  Baptist  speaks  of  his  joy  as  the 
"  friend  of  the  Bridegroom,"  in  hearing  the  Bridegroom's 
voice  (Jno.  iii.  29);  and  in  the  parable  of  the  virgins 
(Matt.  XXV.),  where  Christians  are  those  who  go  forth 
to  meet  the  Bridegroom,  they  are  by  that  very  fact  not 
regarded  as  the  Bride,  which  is  still  Israel,  (according  to 
the  general  character  of  the  prophecy,)  though  not  actu- 
ally brought  into  the  scene.  Some  may  be  able  to  see 
also  in  the  marriage  at  Cana  of  Galilee  (Jno.  ii.  i)  the 
vailing  of  the  same  thought. 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  229 

All  this,  therefore,  is  in  that  earthly  sphere  in  which 
Israel's  blessings  lie  ;  our  own  are  "  in  heavenly  places  " 
(Eph.  i.  3),  and  here  it  is  we  find,  not  the  Bride  of  Messiah 
simply,  but  distinctively  "the  Bride  of  the  Lamb.'"  The 
"Lamb,"  as  a  title,  always  keeps  before  us  His  death,  and 
that  by  violence,  "a  Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain  "  (Rev.  v. 
6);  and  it  is  thus  that  He  has  title  to  that  redemption  em- 
pire in  which  we  find  Him  throughout  this  book.  But 
"the  Bride  of  the  Lamb"  is  thus*  one  espoused  to  Him  in 
His  rejection,  sharer  (though  it  be  but  in  slight  measure) 
of  His  reproach  and  sorrow,  trained  and  disciplined  for 
glory  in  a  place  of  humiliation.  And  so  it  is  said  that 
"//"  we  suffer,  we  shall  also  reign  with  Him;"  and  again, 
"If  so  be  we  suffer  with  Him,  that  we  may  be  also  glori- 
fied together."  (2  Tim.  ii.  12;  Rom.  viii.  17.) 

The  saints  in  the  millennium  have  no  heritage  of  suf- 
fering such  as  this ;  even  those  who  pass  through  the 
trial  which  ushers  it  in,  have  not  the  same  character  of  it, 
although  we  must  not  forget  those  associated  with  the 
Lamb  upon  Mount  Zion,  who  illustrate  the  same  truth, 
but  upon  a  lower  platform.  Even  these  are  not  His 
Bride. 

Ephesians,  the  epistle  of  the  heavenly  places,  shows  us 
the  Church  as  Eve  of  the  last  Adam,  whom  Christ  loves, 
and  for  whom  He  gave  Himself.  Formed  out  of  Himself 
and  for  Himself,  He  now  sanctifies  and  cleanses  her  with' 
water-washing  by  the  Word,  that  He  may  present  her  to 
Himself  a  holy  Church,  not  having  spot  or  wrinkle  or  any 
such  thing.  In  another  aspect,  this  Church  is  His  body, 
formed  by  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit  as  at  Pentecost,  com- 
plete when  those  who  are  Christ's  are  caught  up  to  meet 
Him  in  the  air.  The  doctrine  of  this  is,  of  course,  not  in 
Revelation  :  the  difficulty  is  in  seeing  the  conformity  of 
Revelation  with  it. 

Outside  of  Revelation  even,  there  is  a  difficulty  in  the 
connection  (if  there  be,  as  one  would  anticipate,  a  con- 
nection) between  the  Church  as  the  body  of  Christ  now, 


230  "things  that  shall  be." 

before  our  presentation  to  Him,  and  the  "  one  flesh  "  which 
is  the  fruit  of  marriage.  Israel  was  the  married  wife,  and 
will  be,  though  now  for  a  time  "  desolate,"  as  one  divorced. 
The  Church  is  "  espoused  "  (2  Cor.  xi.  2),  not  married. 
Thus  the  "one  body"  and  the  "great  mystery"  of  "one 
flesh,"  of  which  the  apostle  speaks  (Eph.  v.  29)  must  be 
distinct. 

Looking  back  to  Adam,  to  whom  as  a  type  he  there 
refers  us,  we  find  that  Eve  is  taken  out  of  his  side, — is  thus 
really  his  "  flesh  "  by  her  very  making.  Thus,  as  one  with 
him  in  nature,  she  is  united  to  him, — a  union  in  which  the 
prior  unity  finds  its  fit  expression.  The  two  things  are 
therefore  in  this  way  very  clearly  and  intimately  con- 
nected. The  being  of  Christ's  body  is  that,  then,  which 
alone  prepares  and  qualifies  for  the  being,  of  His  bride 
hereafter;  and  body  and  bride  must  be  strictly  commen- 
surate with  each  other. 

The  mystery  here  is  great,  as  the  apostle  himself  says ; 
nor  is  it  to  be  affirmed  that  the  type  in  all  its  features 
answers  to  the  reality.  It  is  easily  seen  that  this  could 
not  be  ;  yet  there  is  real  correspondence  and  suitability 
thus  far:  according  to  it,  the  Church  of  Christ  alone,  from 
Pentecost  to  the  rapture,  is  scripturally  only  (in  a  strict 
sense)  the  "Bride  of  the  Lamb." 

Yet   can   we   confine   the   new  Jerusalem    to    these  ? 

There  would  of  course  in  this  case  be  no  difficulty  as  to  the 

character  of  a  city  which  it  is  given  in  this  vision.    A  city 

is  commonly  enough   identified   with   its   inhabitants,  so 

that  the  same  term  covers  both  place  and  persons.     But 

are  none  to  inhabit  the  new  Jerusalem  except  the  saints 

of  Christian  times  ?     Are  none  of  those  so  illustrious  in 

the  Qld  Testament  to  find  their  place  there?     Abraham, 

Isaac,  and  Jacob  are  among  those  with  whom  the  Lord 

I  assures  us  we  are  to  sit  down   in  the  kingdom  of  God 

(Luke  xiii.  28,  29); — are  they  to  be  outside  the  heavenly 

'city? 

'     This  is  positively  answered  otherwise,  as  it  would  seem, 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  23  I 

in  Revelation  itself.  For  while  the  general  account  of 
those  who  enter  there  is  that  they  are  those  "  written  in 
the  Lamb's  book  of  life"  (xxi.  27),  "without"  the  city 
are  said  to  be  only  "dogs,  and  sorcerers,  and  whore- 
mongers, and  murderers,  and  idolaters,  and  whosoever 
loveth  and  maketh  a  lie"  (xxii.  15). 

In  the  eleventh  of  Hebrews,  moreover,  in  a  verse  al- 
ready quoted,  "the  city  which  hath  foundations,  whose 
builder  and  maker  is  God,"  for  which  the  patriarchs 
looked  and  waited,  can  surely  be  no  other  than  that 
which  we  find  here;  and  it  is  added  that  they  desired  "a 
better  country, — that  is,  a  heavenly;  wherefore  God  is  not 
ashamed  to  be  called  their  God  :  for  He  hath  prepared  for 
them  a  city,"  It  could  not  be  the  New-Testament  Church 
for  which  Abraham  looked;  for  this  was  as  yet  entirely 
hidden  in  God.  (Eph.  iii.  9.)  Another  and  larger  mean- 
ing for  the  new  Jerusalem  must  surely,  therefore,  be 
admitted. 

And  why  should  there  not  be  in  it  the  inclusion  of  both 
thoughts  ?     Why  should  it  not  be  the  bi'ide-dfy,  named 
from  the  bvidtc/iurc/i,  whose  home  it  is,  and  yet  contain- 
ing other  occupants?     This  alone  would  seem  to  cover 
the  whole  of  the  facts  which  Scripture  gives  us  as  to  it; 
and  the  Jewish  bride  is   in    like   manner  sometimes   a 
wider,  sometimes  a  narrower  conception  ;  sometimes  the 
city  Jerusalem,  sometimes  the  people  Israel.     Only  that 
in  the  Old  Testament  the  city  is  the  narrower,  the  people 
the   wider  view ;    while   in   the   New   Testament  this   is 
reversed.     And  even  this  may  be  significant:  the  heav-> 
enly  city,  the  dwelling-place  of  God,  permitting  none  of^, 
the  redeemed  to  be   outside    it,  but   opening  its  gates!' 
widely  to  all.     A  Bride-City  indeed,  ever  holding  bridal- 
festival,  and  having  perpetual  welcome  for  all  that  come :  j 
its  freshness  never  fading,  its  joy  never  satiating  ;  blessed 
are  they  whose  names  are  written  there  ! 

As  before,  the  city  is  seen  "descending  out  of  heaven 
from  God."  We  shall  find,  however,  here,  that  the  present 


232  *'  THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

vision  goes  back  of  the  new  heavens  and  earth  to  the 
millennial  age, — that  is,  that  while  itself  eternal,  the  city 
is  seen  in  connection  with  the  earth  at  this  time.  Not 
yet  has  it  been  said,  *'  The  tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men, 
and  He  will  dwell  with  them."  The  descending  city  is 
not,  therefore,  in  that  settled  and  near  intimacy  with  men 
outside  of  it  in  which  it  will  be.  A  significant  and  per- 
fect note  of  time  it  is  that  the  leaves  of  the  tree  of  life 
are  for  the  healing  of  nations  (xxii.  2).,  Tender  as  this 
grace  is,  the  condition  it  shows  could  not  be  eternal. 

All  the  nearer  does  it  bring  this  vision  of  glory  and  of 
love,  no  more  to  be  banished  or  dimmed  by  human  sin  or 
sorrow.  The  city  has  the  glory  of  God  ;  and  here  is  the 
goal  of  hope,  complete  fruition  of  that  which  but  as  hope 
outshines  all  that  is  known  of  brightness  elsewhere.  It 
cannot  be  painted  with  words.  We  cannot  hope  even  to 
expand  what  the  Holy  Ghost  has  given  us.  But  the 
blessedness  itself  we  are  soon  to  know. 

The  holy  city  descends  from  heaven,  "  having  the 
glory  of  God."  She  is  the  chosen  vessel  of  it,  to 
display  it  to  the  universe,  being  the  fruit  of  Christ's 
work,  the  fullest  witness  of  abounding  grace.  Her 
shining  is  ^'like  a  most  precious  stone,  as  a  crystal-like 
jasper-stone,"  or  diamond,  as  we  have  already  taken  it  to 
be.*  The  carbon  crystallized  into  this  lustrous  brilliant, 
which  still  shines  with  a  light  not  its  own,  is  a  fit  repre- 
sentation of  the  "glory"  that  is  to  be  "in  the  Church  in 
Christ  Jesus  unto  all  generations  of  the  age  of  ages." 
(Eph.  iii.  2  1.)  This  glory  which  God  manifests  through 
His  creatures.  He  manifests  to  His  creatures,  satisfying 
Hts  own  love  in  bringing  them  thus  nigh  unto  Himself. 
How  blessed  to  be  a  means  of  such  display  ! 

The  wall  of  the  city  clearly  speaks  of  its  security  :  it 
has  "a  great  and  high  wall;"  for  "salvation  hath  God 
appointed  as  walls  and  bulwarks."  (Is.  xxvi.  i.)     And  in 

*See  on  chap.  iv.  3. 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  233 

the  wall,  which  has  four  sides,  there  are  twelve  gates, — 
three  gates  on  every  side,  for  egress  and  ingress,  home 
as  this  is  of  a  life  which  is  unceasing  activity.  The  num- 
ber 12  is  upon  all  the  city,  12  being  an  expanded  7,  with 
the  same  factors  (4X3  instead  of  4-I-  3),  and  the  symbol 
of  manifest  divine  government,  God  being  here  mani- 
festly supreme.  This  is  perfection  in  its  deepest  analysis; 
and  the  numbers  are  thus  one  in  fact.*  The  12  here  is 
plainly  the  usual  4X3;  the  3  still  speaking  of  divine 
manifestation,  while  the  4  shows  it  to  be  universal,  the 
sides  facing  also  every  way. 

At  the  gates  are  twelve  angels;  upon  them  the  names 
of  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel.  As  the  tabernacle  of  God, 
a  reference  to  the  tabernacle  of  old  is  surely  in  place 
here,  though  to  that  there  was  but  one  entrance,  for  a 
simple  and  beautiful  reason,  Christ  being  seen  in  it  as  the 
only  way  of  approach  to  God.  Now  there  are  twelve 
gates,  answering  to  the  twelve  tribes  which  in  the  wilder- 
ness also  were  grouped  in  similar  threes  around  the  tab- 
ernacle. Ezekiel,  in  his  last  vision  of  the  future  (chap, 
xlviii.),  shows  us  what  more  exactly  answers  to  what  is 
here,  though  speaking  of  the  earthly  city  restored,  and 
not  the  heavenly;  and  there  the  gates  are  appropriated, 
one  to  each  particular  tribe.  Israel  are  here,  as  it  would 
seem,  their  own  representatives,  as  in  the  vision  of  the 
seventh  chapter;  and  we  are  reminded  of  their  being  in 
nearest  connection  upon  earth  with  the  heavenly  city.  In 
the  heavenly  sphere,  at  the  gates  are  angels.  The  heav- 
enly and  earthly  relations  of  the  city  are  thus  declared. 

There  are  twelve  foundations  of  the  wall  of  the  city 
also;  but  on  these  are  the  names  of  the  twelve  apostles 
of  the  Lamb.  They  have  laid  the  foundations,  and  their 
names  are  stamped  upon  their  work.  We  are  surely  not  to 
imagine  any  individualizing  here,  as  if  any  one  foundation 
could  be  appropriated  to  any  one  apostle,  or  indeed  that 

*  See  "Spiritual  Lawin  tiieNaturalWoiid,"  pp.  73-5. 


234  "things  that  shall  be." 

the  number  12  itself  is  any  thing  but  characteristic.  This 
connects  itself  also  with  the  question  of  the  presence  or 
absence  of  Paul's  name  from  the  number.  It  is  remark- 
able that  almost  the  same  difficulty  connects  with  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  which  often  exclude  and  often  in- 
clude the  tribe  of  Levi.  Taking  Ephraim  and  Manasseh, 
the  two  sons  of  Joseph,  as  tribal  heads,  equal  in  this  re- 
spect to  Jacob's  other  sons,  (and  this  is  the  place  that 
they  are  given  in  the  history,)  yet  they  are  none  the  less 
always  counted  twelve.  Why  may  not  the  apostles,  in 
spite  of  the  addition  of  Paul  to  their  number,  be  counted 
here  as  twelve  ? 

The  measurements  of  the  city  and  the  wall  are  next 
given.  The  city  is  a  cube,  twelve  thousand  furlongs 
every  way;  the  wall,  a  hundred  and  forty-four  cubits 
high.  The  number  12  still  governs  everywhere.  The 
cube  speaks  of  substance,  reality.  The  sanctuary  in  the 
tabernacle  and  in  the  temple  were  both  cubes.  This  is 
the  eternal  sanctuary,  and  the  full  fruition  of  every  hope 
of  the  saint.  The  measurements  further,  though  surely 
symbolic,  await  yet  their  interpretation. 

The  building  of  the  wall  is  of  jasper  (or  diamond). 
The  divine  glory  is  itself  a  safeguard  of  the  eternal  city. 
What  can  touch  that  which  God  has  ordained  for  His 
own  praise  ?  The  city  itself  is  pure  transparent  gold, — 
pure,  permanent,  radiant, — not  hindering,  but  welcoming 
the  enraptured  sight.  The  foundations  of  the  wall  are 
adorned  with  every  precious  stone, — all  the  attributes  of 
God  displayed  in  that  upon  which  rests  the  salvation  of 
the  people  of  God.  The  stones,  in  their  separate  mean- 
ings, are  again  a  mystery.  The  twelve  gates  are  twelve 
pearls — the  picture  of  such  grace  as  has  been  shown  in 
the  Church  (Matt.  xiii.  45,  46).  These  gates  stand  open 
all  the  unending  day.  The  street  of  the  city  is,  again, 
"pure  gold,  like  transparent  glass."  The  street — 
especially  in  the  east — is  the  place  of  traffic,  the  meeting- 
place  constantly  of  need  and  greed.     But  here,  all  gir- 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  235 

cumstances,  all  intercourse,  the.  whole  environment,  is 
absolute  holiness  and  truth,  fit  for  and  permeated  by  the 
felt  presence  of  God. 

And  this  leads  us  directly  to  the  next  statement,  that 
because  the  city  is  all  sanctuary,  there  is  no  more  any 
special  one.  The  presence  of  God  is  the  temple  of  the 
city:  there  is  no  other;  and  the  Lamb  is  He  who  charac- 
terizes for  us,  and  will  always  characterize,  this  otherwise 
ineffable  Presence.  There  is  no  distance;  there  is  noth- 
ing that  can  produce  distance;  there  never  can  be  more. 
It  is  that  which  the  presence  of  Jesus  among  us — now 
nearly  nineteen  centuries  since — implied  and  pledged  to 
us:  it  is  Immanu-El — "God  with  us" — in  full  reality, 
and  in  the  highest  and  most  intimate  way. 

It  is  true  we  have  not  the  Father  spoken  of  as  such:  it 
is  "the  Lord  (or  Jehovah)  God  Almighty" — the  God  of 
Old-Testament  revelation, — with  "the  Lamb,"  in  whom 
we  have  the  revelation  of  the  New.  Nothing  less,  surely, 
is  meant  than  God  in  full  display,  so  far  as  the  creature 
can  ever  be  made  to  apprehend  Him.  There  is  a  glory 
of  the  Light  always  inaccessible, — not  hid  in  darkness, 
but  in  light,  which  no  human  eye  can  ever  penetrate. 
None  can  fully  know  God  but  God.  This  is  only  to  say 
that  the  creature  remains  the  creature;  but  the  limitation 
of  faculties  does  not  mean  distance,  as  if  kept  back. 
"The  Lamb"  shows,  on  the  one  hand,  the  desire  of  God 
to  be  known,  while  implying,  in  the  very  fact  of  manhood 
taken  for  this  revelation,  that  God  purely  as  God  could 
not  be  known. 

Thus  it  is  immediately  added  that  the  glory  of  God 
lightens  the  city,  and  "the  Lamb  is  the  lamp  thereof." 
The  lamp  sustains  the  light.  It  adds  nothing  to  it,  for 
to  divine  glory  nothing  can  be  added  :  if  any  thing  could 
be,  it  would  no  longer  be  divine.  But  the  light  is  "put 
upon  a  candlestick  (or  lamp)  that  they  who  enter  in  may 
see  the  light."  (Luke  viii.  i6.)  So  will  Christ  always  be 
the  One  in  whom  the  Father  is  made  known  :    nay  the 


k 


236  "things  that  shall  be." 

sacrificial  word  ("Lamb")  assures  us  tliat  we  shall  always 
have  need  of  the  past  also  for  this.  But  this  does  not  at 
all  mean  that  there  will  not  be  what  the  Lord  has  assured 
us  the  angels  of  the  little  children  enjoy  continually: 
"  Their  angels  do  always  behold  the  face  of  My  Father 
who  is  in  heaven." 

This,  then,  is  the  glory  of  the  heavenly  city,  in  the  light 
of  which  the  nations  of  the  earth  themselves  walk;  while 
the  kings  of  the  earth  bring  their  glory  unto  it.  As 
another  has  said,  "  They  own  the  heavens  and  the  heav- 
enly kingdom  to  be  the  source  of  all,  and  bring  there  the 
homage  of  their  power."  And  "  they  bring  the  glory  and 
honor  of  the  nations  unto  it."  That  is,  '*  Heaven  is  seen 
^  as  the  source  of  all  the  glory  and  honor  of  this  world." 
^^  The  nations  are,  as  we  shall  see  directly,  undoubtedly  the 
millennial  nations;  and  it  is  no  question  of  these  entering 
themselves  into  the  heavenly  city:  their  glory  and  honor 
it  is  they  bring,  and  though  the  words  in  the  original 
admit  the  force  of  "into,"  they  by  no  means  compel  it. 
The  mention  of  the  continually  open  gates  speaks  indeed 
J  of  peaceful  and  constant  intercourse,  and  we  must  re- 
member that  here  is  the  abode  of  those  who  reign  with 
Christ  over  the  earth.  Whether  these  are  the  "  kings  of 
the  earth"  meant  is,  however,  a  question:  if  it  were  so, 
the  "into"  might  be  still  the  true,  sense. 

The  next  statement  as  to  the  city  regards  those  who  do 
enter  therein, — that  is,  have  part  in  the  blessedness  which 
is  here  depicted.     In  opposition  to  all  defilement,  one 
Y^lass  alone  has  title  here:   it  is  "they  who  are  written  in 
%*S''v'^*/the  Lamb's  book  of  life."     This  surely  shows  that  the 
}!r^^        whole  of  the  Old-Testament  saints  enter  into  the  city. 
A\       No'bne  is  excluded  whose  name  is  there.     While,  on  the 
y        Other  hand,  the  millennial   saints   have  as  clearly  their 
^v^      i  portion  on  earth — the  new  earth — in  connection,  indeed, 
with  the  ^' tabei-nacle  of  God,"  but  not  in  it.     The  heav- 
enly city  remains  always  heavenly,  and  when  it  descends 
from  heaven,  has  then  received  its  inhabitants.     These 


^y^ 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  237 

distinctions,  which  indeed  are  gathered  from  elsewhere, 
are  nevertheless  to  be  kept  in  remembrance  here,  or  all 
will  be  confusion. 

We  have  next  before  us  the  "  paradise  of  God,"  in  which 
the  city  lies.  Man's  paradise  of  old  could  not  yet  have 
the  city;  and  when  the  city  came,  it  was  outside  of 
paradise  altogether.  Here  at  last  the  two  things  are 
united. 

We  are  of  necessity  reminded  also  of  one  of  the  clos- 
ing visions  of  Ezekiel,  while  a  comparison  easily  shows 
also  the  difference  between  the  earthly  and  the  heavenly 
in  these  pictures, — the  one  being  indeed  the  shadow,  but 
no  more  than  the  shadow,  of  the  other.  John  here  sees 
"a  river  of  water  of  life,  bright  as  crystal,  proceeding  out 
of  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb."  And  in  Eze- 
kiel, the  life-giving  waters  issue  forth  from  the  house  of 
the  Lord,  and  thus  is  specially  noted  in  connection  with 
the  fruit  of  the  trees  that  are  nourished  by  it:  "And  by 
the  river,  upon  the  bank  thereof,  on  this  side  and  on  that 
side,  shall  grow  all  trees  for  meat,  whose  leaf  shall  not 
fade,  neither  shall  the  fruit  thereof  be  consumed:  it  shall 
bring  forth  new  fruit  according  to  its  months,  because 
their  waters,  they  issued  out  of  the  sanctuary;  and  the 
fruit  thereof  shall  be  for  meat,  and  the  leaf  thereof /or 
medicine."  How  like  the  account  in  Revelation  is  to  this, 
no  one  can  fail  to  understand  :  even  the  language  might 
seem  to  be  taken  from  it :  "  In  the  midst  of  the  street  of 
it,  and  on  this  side  of  the  river  and  on  that,  was  there  the 
tree  of  life,  which  bare  twelve  [manner  of]  fruits,  and 
yielded  its  frtiit  every  month:  and  the  leaves  of  the  tree 
were  for  the  healing  of  the  nations." 

But  in  Ezekiel  all  is  distinctly  earthly,  and  the  blessing 
is  not  yet  full.  The  waters  go  down  into  the  salt  sea  and 
heal  it,  so  that  a  great  multitude  of  fish  are  in  its  waters; 
but  there  are  miry  places  and  marshes  that  are  not  healed, 
but  given  over  to  salt.  With  both  the  Old-Testament 
prophet  and  the  New,  we  see  that  the  earth  is  yet  in  the 


238  ''THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

millennial,  not  the  eternal  condition;  for  the  leaves  of  the 
tree  are  for  medicine  in  both  alike;  there  is,  in  both,  need 
of  healing  yet. 

The  waters  are  in  both  cases  from  the  sanctuary,  for 
that  is  the  character  of  the  whole  city  of  God.  In  Reve- 
lation, they  are  specifically  from  tne  throne  of  God;  for 
here  the  one  blessedness  is,  as  we  have  seen,  that  God 
reigns, — God  revealed  in  that  perfect  grace  that  is  ex- 
pressed in  Christ,— ^the  throne  of  God  being  also  that  of 
the  Lamb.  Thus  the  water  is  the  type,  as  always  in  its 
highest  meaning,  of  the  fullness  of  the  Spirit,  the  power 
of  life  and  sanctification,  indeed  the  power  of  God  in  all 
creation.  The  tree  of  life  bears  witness,  as  in  the  earthly 
paradise  at  first,  of  dependence  upon  Another,  of  life  in 
dependence;  but  all  the  plenteous  and  varied  fruits  of 
this  could  not  even  be  symbolized  in  the  time  of  old;  fresh 
fruits  and  abundant:  who  can  tell  the  blessed  meaning.? 
or  what  Christ  is  to  those  that  have  their  life  in  Him  ? 

"And  there  shall  be  no  more  curse,  but  the  throne  of 
God  and  of  the  Lamb  shall  be  in  it;  and  His  servants 
shall  serve  Him.  And  they  shall  see  His  face;  and  His 
name  shall  be  in  their  foreheads."  Thus  He  is  openly 
theirs;  they  too  are  openly  His.  Service  is  taken  up 
afresh  in  glory  according  to  the  fullness  of  that  open- 
eyed  and  open-faced  communion  which  is  here  so  assured. 
It  is  indeed,  when  it  has  its  proper  character,  communion 
itself.  The  love  that  serves  us  all  is  the  love  of  God 
Himself,  and  of  this  Christ  is  the  perfect  expression. 
How  is  it  possible  to  be  in  communion  with  Christ  with- 
out the  diligent  endeavor  to  serve  Him  in  the  gospel  of 
His  grace,  and  in  ministry  to  His  people.?  In  heaven, 
service  will  not  for  a  moment  cease;  although  some  pre- 
cious possibilities  of  the  present  will  have  passed  away 
indeed.  Would  that  this  were  more  realized,  with  the 
Lord's  estimate  of  greatness  in  the  kingdom  of  which  He 
is  greatest  of  all! 

But  the  light !  and  our  inheritance  is  in  the  light.     To 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  239 

this  the  vision  returns,  and  ends  with  it:  "And  there 
shall  be  no  night  there;  and  they  need  no  candle,  nor\  ^  ^* J 
light  of  the  sun;  for  the  Lord  God  giveth  them  light,  and  *"  . 
they  shall  reign  for  the  ages  of  the  ages"  Thus  the\Ht*^ 
reign  of  the  saints  is  not  for  the  millennium  only,  nor 
simply  as  partakers  of  the  power  of  the  rod  of  iron.  "If 
by  one  man's  offense  death  reigned  through  one,  much 
more  shall  they  who  receive  abundance  of  grace  and  of  the 
gift  of  righteousness  reign  in  life  by  One,  Jesus  Christ." 
(Rom.  V.  17.)  Reigning  is,  for  the  heavenly  saints,  in- 
separable from  the  life  they  enter  into  in  the  coming  day. 
The  new  Jerusalem  is  a  city  of  kings  and  priests, — the 
bridal  city  of  the  King  of  kings.  Here  the  eternal  reign 
seems  associated  necessarily  with  the  glory  in  which  all 
here  live  and*  move.  For  those  who  were  once  sinners, — 
slaves  of  Satan,  and  of  the  lusts  by  which  he  inthralled 
them,  to  be  delivered  and  brought,  by  the  priceless  blood 
of  Jesus,  into  such  communion  as  is  here  shown  with  the 
Father  and  the  Son, — how  can  their  condition  be  ex- 
pressed in  language  less  glowing  than  this — needing  no 
candle,  nor  light  of  the  sun,  because  the  Lord  God  giveth 
them  light, — than  that  they  reign  forever  and  ever  ? 

Closing  Testimonies.    (Chap.  xxii.  6-21.) 

The  series  of  visions  is  thus  completed.  What  remains 
is  the  emphasizing  of  its  authority  for  the  soul,  with  all 
that  belongs  to  Him  whose  revelation  it  is,  and  who  is 
Himself  coming  speedily.  Thus  the  angel  now  affirms 
that  "these  words  are  faithful  and  true  :"  necessarily  so, 
because  of  Him  whose  words  they  are.  "The  Lord  God 
of  the  spirits  of  the  prophets  hath  sent  His  angel  to  show 
unto  His  servants  things  which  must  soon  come  to 
pass."  Here  we  return  to  the  announcement  of  the  first 
chapter.  The  book  is,  above  all,  a  practical  book.  It 
is  not  for  theorists  or  dreamers,  but  for  servants, — words 
which  are  to  be  kept,  and  to  have  application  to  their 
service  in  the  Church  and  in  the  world. 


240  "THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE. 

'Ihe  things  themselves  were  soon  to  come  to  pass.  In 
fact,  the  history  of  the  Church,  as  the  opening  epistles 
depict  it,  could  be  found  imaged,  as  we  see,  in  the  con- 
dition of  existing  assemblies.  The  seeds  of  the  future 
already  existed,  and  were  silently  growing  up,  even  with 
the  growth  (externally)  of  Christianity  itself.  As  to  the 
visions  following  the  epistles  also,  from  the  sixth  chapter 
on,  we  have  acknowledged  the  partial  truth  of  what  is 
known  as  the  historical  fulfillment  of  these.  It  is 
admitted  that  there  has  been  an  anticipative  fulfillment 
in  Christian  times  of  that  which  has  definite  application 
to  the  time  of  the  end,  although  it  is  the  last  only  that 
has  been,  in  general,  dwelt  upon  in  these  pages. 

Historicalists  will  not  be  satisfied  with  such  an  admis- 
sion, and  refusing  on  their  side  (as  they  rnostly  do)  the 
general  bearing  of  the  introductory  epistles  upon  the 
history  of  the  Church  at  large,  insist  upon  such  affirma- 
tions as  the  present  as  entirely  conclusive  that  the 
historical  interpretation  is  the  only  true  one.  In  fact, 
the  view  which  has  been  here  followed  brings  nearest  to 
those  in  the  apostles'  days  the  things  announced,  as  well 
as  makes  the  whole  book  far  more  fruitful  and  important 
for  the  guidance  of  servants.  For  how  many  generations 
must  they  have  waited  before  the  seals  .and  trumpets 
would  speak  to  these  ?  And  when  they  did,  how  much 
of  guidance  would  they  furnish  for  practical  walk?  The 
application  of  Babylon  the  great  to  Romanism  is  fully 
accepted,  and  that  of  Jezebel  in  the  same  way  insisted 
on,  so  that  as  to  the  errors  of  popery,  we  are  as 
protestant  as  any,  if  in  the  "  beasts  "  of  the  thirteenth 
chapter  we  find  something  beyond  this.  But  nothing  of 
this  could  have  been  intelligible  to  the  saints  of  the  early 
centuries,  while  the  fulfillment  of  Ephesus,  Smyrna,  and 
even  Pergamos,  would  soon  be  of  the  first  importance. 

''The  Lord  God  of  the  spirits  of  the  prophets" — the 
reading  now  generally  admitted  to  be  right — emphasizes 
for  us  the  presence  of  the  living  God  as  what  was  for 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  24I 

these  the  constant  reaUzation,  in  all  the  shifting  scenes 
of  human  history.  And  so  it  is  for  those  whose  spirit  is 
in  harmony  with  them.  God  in  past  history,  God  in  the 
events  happening  under  our  eyes,  His  judgment  there- 
fore of  every  thing,  while  controlling  every  thing,  for  His 
own  glory  and  for  the  blessing  of  His  people, — in  this 
respect  how  blessed  to  be  guided  by  those  wondrous 
revelations  !  While  the  future,  to  be  learnt  from  the 
same  infallible  teaching,  is  not  only  that  which  animates 
our  hopes,  but  is  necessary  for  the  judgment  of  the 
present,  no  less.  All  lines  lead  on  to  the  full  end,  there 
where  the  full  light  gives  the  manifestation  of  all. 

''And  behold,  I  come  quickly."  This  is  for  the  heart: 
future  as  long  as  we  are  down  here ;  and  yet  to  govern 
the  present.  ''Blessed  is  he  that  keepeth  the  words  of 
the  prophecy  of  this  book." 

Here  we  are  warned  of  the  mistakes  that  may  be  made 
by  the  holiest  of  men  in  the  most  fervent-  occupation 
with  heavenly  things.  John  falls  at  the  angel's  feet  to 
worship  him  ;  but  the  angel  refuses  it,  claiming  no 
higher  title  than  to  be  a  fellow-servant  with  John  himself, 
with  his  brethren  the  prophets,  and  with  those  also  who 
keep  the  words  of  this  book.  And  he  adds,  "  Worship  t 
God:'' — worship,  that  is,  no  creature.  ' 

Unlike  Daniel's  prophecies,  the  words  of  the  prophecy 
of  this  book  are  not  to  be  sealed  up,  for  the  time  is  near. 
To  the  Christian,  brought  face  to  face  with  the  coming 
of  the  Lord,  the  end  is  always  near.  What  time  mights 
actually  elapse  was  another  question.  In  fact,  some 
eighteen  centuries  have  elapsed  since  this  was  written  : 
but  while  Daniel  was  taught  to  look  on  through  a  vista 
of  many  generations  to  the  end  before  him.  Christians, 
taught  to  be  always  in  an  attitude  of  expectation,  have 
before  them  no  such  necessary  interval,  and  are  brought 
into  the  full  light  now,  though  unbelief  and  wrong 
teaching  may  obscure  it.  But  nothing  in  this  way  is 
under  a  vail,   save   the    moment  whose  concealment  is 


242  **  THINGS    THAT    SHALL    BE." 

meant  to  encourage  expectation.  How  good  for  us, 
and  fruitful  such  concealment,  may  be  measured  by  the 
goodness  and  fruitfulness  of  the  expectation  itself. 

The  solemn  words  are  just  ready  to  be  uttered  which 
proclaim  the  close  of  the  day  of  grace  to  those  who  have 
refused  grace.  It  is  just  ready  to  be  said,  "  Let  him  that 
doeth  unrighteously  do  unrighteously  still  ;  and  let  the 
filthy  make  himself  filthy  still  ;  and  let  him  that  is  right- 
eous do  righteousness  still  ;  and  he  that  is  holy,  let 
him  be  sanctified  still,"  And  when  this  applies  is  shown 
clearly  in  the  next  words,  '*  Behold,  I  come  quickly,  and 
My  reward  with  Me,  to  render  to  every  one  as  his  work 
shall  be  :  I,  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  Beginning 
and  the  End,  the  First  and  the  Last."  The  last  affirma- 
tion here  shows  the  irrevocable  character  of  this 
judgment.  He  sums  up  in  Himself  all  wisdom,  all 
power :  "  none  can  stay  His  hand,  or  say  unto  Him, 
What  doest.Thou?" 

The  way  of  life  and  the  way  of  death  are  now  put  in 
contrast :  "  Blessed  are  they  that  wash  their  robes, 
that  they  may  have  right  to  the  tree  of  life,  and  may 
enter  in  through  the  gates  into  the  city."  Here  is  the 
condition  of  blessing  stated  according  to  the  character  of 
Revelation,  in  terms  that  have  been  used  before.  Our 
robes  must  be  washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  as  those 
of  the  redeemed  multitude  in  the  vision  under  the  seals, 
in  order  to  be  arrayed  in  the  7vhite  garments  that  are 
granted  to  the  Lamb's  wife.  A  very  old  corruption  in 
this  text  is  that  exhibited  in  the  common  version, 
"  Blessed  are  they  that  do  His  commandments  ; "  but 
which  is  the  true  reading  ought  to  be  apparent  at  once. 
It  is  not  by  keeping  commandments  than  any  one  can 
acquire  a  right  to  the  tree  of  life.  On  the  other  hand, 
condemnation  is  for  committed  evil  :  "without  are  dogs, 
and  sorcerers,  and  fornicators,  and  murderers,  and 
idolaters,  and  every  one  that  loveth  and  maketh  a  lie." 

Again  it  is  repeated,  **I,  Jesus,  have  sent  Mine  angel 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  243 

to  testify  these  things  unto  you  in  the  assemblies ; "  and 
then  He  declares  Himself  in  the  two  relations  among 
men  in  which  the  book  has  spoken  of  Him :  "  I  am  the 
Root  and  the  Offspring  of  David  " — the  Jewish  relation, 
the  divine  incarnate  King  of  Israel, — ''the  bright  and 
Morning  Star," — the  object  of  expectation  for  the  Chris- 
tian. But  immediately  He  is  named — or  rather  names 
Himself  in  this  way,  the  heart  of  the  Bride,  moved  by  the 
Spirit,  awakes  :  "  And  the  Spirit  and  the  Bride  say, 
'  Come  ! '  "  But  because  it  is  yet  the  day  of  grace,  and 
the  Bride  is  still  open  to  receive  accessions  it  is  added, 
"And  let  him  that  heareth  say,  'Come!'"  And  if  one 
answer,  "  Ah,  but  my  heart  is  yet  unsatisfied,"  it  is 
further  said,  "  And  let  him  that  is  athirst  come  ;  he  that 
will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely." 

Blessed  is  this  testimony.  The  precious  gifts  of  God 
are  not  restricted  in  proportion  to  their  preciousness,  but 
the  ^reverse.  In  nature,  sunlight,  fresh  air,  the  water- 
brooks,  things  the  most  necessary,  are  on  that  account 
bestowed  freely  upon  all.  And  in  the  spiritual  realm 
there  is  no  barrier  to  reception  of  the  best  gifts,  save  that 
which  the  soul  makes  for  itself.  Not  only  so,  but  men 
are  urged  to  come, — to  take, — to  look, — with  no  uncer- 
tainty of  result  for  those  who  do  so.  The  stream  that 
makes  glad  the  city  of  God  is  poured  out  for  the  satis- 
faction of  all  who  thirst,  and  will  but  stoop  to  drink  of  it. 
This  is  the  closing  testimony  of  the  gospel  in  this  book, 
and  that  with  which  it  is  associated  adds  amazingly  to  its 
solemnity. 

There  is  now  another  warning,  neither  to  add  to,  nor 
to  take  from  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book. 
Scripture  has  many  similar  admonitions,  but  here  the 
penalty  is  an  unutterably  solemn  one.  To  him  that  adds, 
God  shall  add  the  plagues  that  are  written  in  this  book. 
From  him  who  takes  away,  God  shall  take  away  his  part 
from  the  tree  of  life  and  from  the  holy  city.  Yet  men . 
are  now  not  scrupulous  at  least  to  take  away  many  of  the  / 


244  "things  that  shall  be." 

V  words  of  Scripture,  and  of  Revelation  among  the  rest. 
Every  word  is  claimed  here  by  the  Lord  Himself  for 
God  ;  and  if  this  is  not  a  claim  for  verbal  inspiration, 
^  what  is  it  ?  As  manifestly  the  closing  book  of  New- 
'  Testament  scripture,  what  may  we  not  infer  as  to  the 
verbal  inspiration  of  other  parts?  And  what  shall  be  the 
woe  of  those  who  dare  presumptuously  to  meddle  with 
that  which  is  the  authoritative  communication  of  the 
mind  of  God  to  man?  Is  it  not  being  done?  and  by 
those  who  own  that  somewhere  at  least — and  they  cannot 
pretend  to  know  exactly  the  limit, — Scripture  contains  the 
Word  of  God  ? 

This  announcement  of  penalty  is  Christ's  own  word  : 
*'He  who  testifieth  these  things  saith,  'Surely,  I  come 
quickly.'  "  Is  it  not  when  His  Word  is  being  thus  dealt 
with  that  we  may  more  than  ever  expect  Himself  ?  When, 
the  testimony  of  Scripture  is  being  invalidated  and 
denied,  is  it  not  then  that  we  may  most  expect  the 
Faithful  and  True  Witness  to  testify  in  person  ?  And 
especially  when  this  arises  in  the  most  unlooked  for 
places,  and  Church-teachers  laboriously  work  out  a 
theology  of  unbelief  ? 

And  the  promise  abides  as  the  hope  of  the  Church, 
although  it  be  true  that  the  Bridegroom  has  tarried,  and 
the  virgins  have  slept  !  That — true  or  false — a  cry  has 
been  raised,  "  Behold,  the  Bridegroom  cometh ! "  is 
notorious.  That  many  have  stirred  and  taken  up  the 
old  attitude  of  expectancy  is  also  true.  All  these  things 
should  surely  be  significant  also.  But  whatever  one's 
head  may  say, — whatever  the  doctrine  we  have  received 
and  hold  as  to  the  coming  of  our  Lord  and  Master, — the 
heart  of  the  truly  faithful  must  surely  say  with  the 
apostle  here,  "Even  so,  come.  Lord  Jesus." 

It  is  the  only  response  that  answers  to  the  assurance 
of  His  love  on  His  departure  to  the  Father:  "In  My 
Father's  house  are  many  mansions  ;  if  it  were  not  so,  I 
would  have  told  you  ;  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you. 


THE    CONSUMMATION.  245 

And  if  I  go,  I  will  come  again,  and  receive  you  unto  My- 
self, that  where  I  am,  ye  may  be  also." 

The  Lord's  coming — the  parousia — is  just  the  "pres- 
ence "  of  the  Lord  Himself.  Nothing  short  of  this  could 
satisfy  the  hearts  of  those  who  looked  up  after  Him,  as 
He  ascended  with  His  hands  spread  in  blessing  over 
them  ;  and  were  reassured  by  the  angels'  voices,  that 
this  same  Jesus  would  come  again.  Just  in  proportion 
as  we  too  have  learnt  by  the  Spirit  the  power  of  the  love 
of  Jesus,  we  too  shall  be  satisfied  with  this,  and  with 
this  alone.  May  we  learn  more  deeply  what  is  this  cry 
of  the  Spirit  and  the  Bride  :  "Amen,  come,  Lord  Jesus." 

F.  W.  G. 


5!c-; 


THE  BIBLE   TRUTH    PRESS,    NEW   YORK. 


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